Welcome back to campus everyone, I hope everyone has been well over winter break! This week’s artist is someone who caught my eye with her strong value range and her whimsical illustrations. I’m almost always in Insalaco and appreciate all the art on the walls. This artist’s work always stuck out to me, but until now had never really had the chance to see her process of working. This past semester allowed me the opportunity to have her in some of my art classes and I enjoy seeing her process of creating. This focused artist is…

Rebecca Prowse

I am majoring in Art because…

I love art as a language! I truly think that art is one of the few universal languages. No matter your background, art can transcend boundaries and act where words cannot. When I am at my most upset, or going through something tough, drawing has always helped me identify and express my feelings. I hope that with my degree I can use the skills and knowledge I gain to effectively create conversation, bring light to important topics, and hopefully help other artists/creators/viewers do the same! 

The kinds of things that inspire me are…

movies, books, and other media that I consume. There are a few in particular that have really changed my art – including the movie Treasure Planet. I know that it bombed in theaters, but Treasure Planet was the first movie that really made me think about concept art and working to make others feel seen through art. Jim’s struggle with identity, self-worth, and overall growth resonated with me upon watching the movie the first time in a way that I never had quite felt. Since that initial viewing, I have dreamed of creating characters and stories that resonate as deeply as Jim did for me.  In general, Disney animation has been a huge inspiration my entire life. My teachers, family, and friends definitely inspire me as well. I owe a lot of my continued interest in art during high school to my teachers Mr. Rosado and Ms. Scognamiglio, and my approach to creating very much stems from what I learned under their guidance. My family and friends always show me new things to smile about, and give me more causes to care about! I love incorporating what I learn from the people I care about in the work I care about!

My favorite art class so far has been…

Digital Design with Prof. Sue Jenkins because of its mix of imagination and innovation. I loved learning new techniques to amplify my designs in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. Both my compositional skills and technical skills were challenged in a way that made me excited to learn more and dive into the next project. I also appreciated how Digital Design is a class that I can insert a little more of my own character and interests in. I especially loved designing a set of phone cases, all unified under the theme of music. I really got to explore the extent of my creativity and push it to its limits with this class. The critique space was also super welcoming and inspiring. The environment was well suited for us students to share and discuss our works together. 

When I am not in class…

I like to read, watch movies, play video games, draw, and to yap (extensively and eagerly) with friends. I love to yap with my roommate and have enjoyed exploring the area with my new friends at college. Most of the time, however, I am obsessed with anything fantasy related, like The Lord of the Rings and The Legend of Zelda, but I’ve read my fair share of other series and played a few other games. I just love anything with knights, elves, halflings, royalty – you name it! I will always love animation too, like Howl’s Moving Castle or my favorite movie, Treasure Planet. Something about 2D animation captures my heart more than other movies. Admittedly, I have not had much time for most of these activities during the school year, but anyone who knows me would know that I will talk nonstop about these interests anyway.

The coolest thing I have done at Marywood so far was…

run around and take pictures of the Aurora Borealis. From where I live there is too much light pollution and too many buildings to really even see the stars. The one night the Aurora Borealis was in the sky my roommate and I ran around campus getting the most beautiful photos. I could not see the colors with my naked eye, but the photos made up for it. Aside from the beauty, it was just amazing to bond with my friends on such an ethereal night. Academically, the coolest thing I have done at Marywood so far has probably been the fall bus trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I had never gone before, so attending the trip in itself was probably one of the most awesome experiences ever. However, I thought it was even more cool to see the pieces we talked about in my Art History class. I found the Etruscan pottery and frescoes discussed in class absolutely fascinating, so being able to see the collection of the pottery in person was indescribably breathtaking. 

The thing that sparked my interest in art was….

Bob Ross and school art classes. My parents always had a box of crayons or markers handy for me and my siblings, but I never really paid attention to art until my parents signed me up for a Bob Ross oil painting class when I was nine. I went a couple times each year, and loved the day of painting that would ensue. When I aged out of the program, my parents then enrolled me in classes taught at a local studio in my hometown that really improved my skill and confidence. The time I spent in these classes encouraged me enough to apply to my local vocational high school’s art program and get serious about art as a viable career.

->->-> Check out some other works by Rebecca!

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I hope you all enjoyed Rebecca’s creations! I thoroughly enjoyed the attention to detail she gives to her observation drawing of fruit and the pointillism painting. These types of art requires a lot of patience and focus to portray something three dimensional on a two dimensional plane. Lastly, I also appreciate how diverse Rebecca’s work is. From doing digital work to painting or drawing, all of these practices will further her techniques in the art realm and am looking forward to seeing where she will take this into her career. Antio sas!

~Conchita