Undergraduate Spotlight
What attracted you to the Department of Art & Art History?
Art felt like the only path for me, and the department was where I knew I could take that path.
What type of artwork do you create and can you discuss your process?
Oil painting is my strongest medium, though I appreciate printmaking as well. My biggest goal right now is to experiment with what I create, moving from portraits, to landscapes, to still-life’s. In each one though, I aim to create an intensity through lighting and color.
Which artists do you look to for inspiration?
I’m currently very inspired by textile artists, such as Dagobert Peche, an Austrian lace maker.
Which professors inspired you the most?
Moving up in the painting curriculum, my paintings were always very inspired by what I was learning in printmaking with Somayeh Faal and Kaleena Stasiak.
What has been your favorite class during your years here?
I’m inclined to say both Advanced Painting and Advanced Printmaking. These are both classes I would take again and again given the opportunity, and I love how they work in tandem with one another.
Do you have a favorite memory here in the department?
Working at Double Decker with the Pixel Press: University of Mississippi Print + Photo Club was riveting. It was one of the first times that I was able to sell my work.
Which artists do you look to for inspiration?
I spent so much of my life looking up to Artemisia Gentileschi. Everything about her drew me in, and I can only hope to achieve some of what she has.
Do you have any advice for incoming art students?
Join a club and go to the department events. Community is so essential to art, and we have so many opportunities to build it.
Which professors inspired you the most?
Coming up in painting, Brooke Alexander and Philip Jackson always pushed me to pass the boundaries I had set up in art.
Do you have any hobbies outside of the art department?
When I have the opportunity, I love going to trivia at The Blind Pig. It’s the perfect way to start out the week and reunite with friends before getting to work.
What is your favorite thing about Oxford or the University?
I’ve found a beautiful community of resilient people here. In meeting them, I’ve been able to grow more comfortable with myself.
Do you have any plans after graduation?
I currently plan to attend Graduate school for art. If possible, I would love to find a program that supports both painting and printmaking.