How did you first get interested in art?
Like a lot of kids I imagine, I drew a lot as a kid and loved watching cartoons, and very sadly the love of cartoons persisted. I was really inspired by shows like Spongebob that encouraged using your imagination to go to different places, and then in middle school when shows like Gravity Falls and Steven Universe were coming out it kind of opened my mind to the possibilities of how complex animation as a medium can be. Because I didn't know what I wanted to major in in high school I joined this Information and Technology program that also sadly prevented me from taking any art classes until my senior year. Ultimately, I decided my love for the artform of animation and storytelling pushed me in the direction of the digital media program here at UNC Charlotte.
What kind of career do you hope to have?
My dream job is to work in animated entertainment. I'd love to be part of that process of creating characters and stories that hopefully inspire others like the shows I watched growing up inspired me. Though I have a little bit of graphic design work experience so that is always a good thing I can come back to on my main journey.
What is your favorite thing about the Art Department?
The best thing about any art program is just the structure of assignments that end with you having a piece you're proud to put on your portfolio and I'm very happy with the opportunities the CoA+A has given me that have been the catalyst of many pieces on my portfolio that I'm proud of. Also, I've had the pleasure to interact with a lot of art professors that are really encouraging and allowed me to feel like I could explore and experiment with the many ideas I had.
Do you participate in any community activities or work in the Charlotte arts community?
I had the honor of helping a little bit with the memorial sculpture in the Botanical gardens (mostly just grunt work but it was meaningful to me). I also had the opportunity to do an entrepreneurial workshop last spring which talked about the business side of being an artist which I felt was pretty valuable. I'll also be serving as a scholastic moderator in January to help with the judging of several young artists from around the state which is exciting.
When you are not in class, studying, or working, what do you like to do for fun?
I certainly doodle a lot, I love filling a page in my sketchbook with random characters and ideas, I play a lot of video games, I really enjoy story base single player games but every now and then my friends convince me to play a competitive game. I also play a little bit of guitar, and recently I've gotten into playing the Magic the Gathering Card game.