BFA/BA GRADUATING SENIORS EXHIBITION
B FA / B A G R A D UAT I N G S E N I O R S E X H I B I T I O N University Art Gallery Art Space on Main Department of Art School of the Arts California State University Stanislaus
500 copies printed
BA Graduating Seniors Exhibition
BFA Graduating Seniors Exhibition,
May 7 - 29, 2015
May 7 - June 30, 2015
University Art Gallery
Art Space on Main
School of the Arts
School of the Arts
California State University Stanislaus
California State University Stanislaus
One University Circle
135 West Main Street
Turlock, CA 95382
Turlock, CA 95380
This exhibition and catalog have been funded by: Associated Students Instructionally Related Activities, California State University Stanislaus
Copyright Š 2015 California State University Stanislaus All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the publisher.
Catalog Design: Brad Peatross, School of the Arts, California State University, Stanislaus Catalog Printing: Claremont Print, Claremont, CA
ISBN: 978-1-940753-11-9
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C ON TE N TS
Director’s Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 BFA Images and Statements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 BA Images and Statements.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
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D IRE C TOR’ S F ORE WORD
The University Art Gallery and Art Space on Main are pleased to present this year’s graduating seniors.These exhibitions and accompanying catalog showcase the many outstanding artists graduating this year from the Department of Art at California State University, Stanislaus. As Gallery Director and Professor of Art, I have had the pleasure of working with these students in their endeavors to complete the BFA and BA programs. These degrees are a pivotal part of their development as artists. As a result of their accomplishments, I am pleased to call these graduating students “colleagues”. I look forward to seeing them have brilliant careers in the arts. Many colleagues have been instrumental in these exhibitions. I would like to thank the BFA and BA students of the Department of Art for their work and being part of the exhibitions, the College of the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, California State University, Stanislaus for the catalog design and Claremont Print and Copy for the printing this catalog. Many thanks are also extended to the Instructionally Related Activates Program of California State University, Stanislaus, as well as anonymous donors for the funding of the exhibitions and catalogue. Their support is greatly appreciated. Dean De Cocker, Director University Art Gallery California State University, Stanislaus
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B FA I M AG E S A N D S TAT EM EN T S
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S an di Am ar al
Jackson Pollock once stated, “The method of painting is the natural growth out of a need. I want to express my feelings rather than illustrate them. Technique is just a means of arriving at a statement.� My artwork begins as an expression of personal beliefs, memories, and reactions to the world around me but transcends into an encounter between the artwork with me and also the artwork with the viewer. As a millennial artist my art grows out of a need for community, a shared experience. Often my work is formed using or combining graphic design, film, printmaking, painting and lost-wax metal casting. My inspirations are driven from personal experience, pop culture, and film which launches the exploration of topics such as identity and nature and the relationships between God and man. In my piece, Joy, the linear elements reflect geometric shapes that are man-made but are found also in nature relating back to humanity’s relationship with its creator and creation. The push and pull of the multiple layers of color and textures are meant to draw the viewer into a reflective state of mind contemplating on their own memories and emotions. Emotions and experiences in life are what connects us. Our toughest moments will always be relatable to another human being. My artwork is meant to bridge the gap of human connection and isolation people feel and create an encounter of connection and emotion for the viewer. In Joy, my overall desire is to evoke a positive emotion and sense of connectivity for the viewer. Like Joy, my other artwork is inspired by my personal experience and the culture surrounding me, but the overall goal is to generate a connection, whether it is a painful or positive memory and emotion, for the viewer.
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The Climb, acr ylic on canvas, 2014 9
Jamilee A m aya
Much of my artwork tends to relate to Biblical subjects or spirituality. I find these subjects interesting because it is something questioned as well as praised in our culture.Typically I will use mixed materials instead of sticking to just one single material. As a result of using mixed materials I have found that “what’s essential is to work without any preconception whatsoever, without knowing in advance what the picture is going to look like,� because the artwork will naturally become what is in the subconscious mind (Giacometti). When working from the unconscious I have realized the importance of the human figure since it more often than not becomes a vital part in my artwork. I believe my unconscious artwork can relate back to my spiritual intentions, because I trust my hands will make what my spirit wants. It is about trusting the art process and that is what I do. The experience I have come to find when making art this way has impacted my understanding of my own identity and how if you let it, art can speak louder than words. There is a sense of life I feel when creating from clay, plaster, wood, or any new material, because in the beginning it was just a material until it is made into what it is to become. My artwork is a big part of who I am and I am thankful that I have come to find it in a figurative/ sculptural way.
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Untitled, plaster sculpture, 2015 11
D ebb ie B levin s
My work frequently explores the roles that typography, simple geometric shapes, and found imagery play in creating designs that are simultaneously simple and complex. This dichotomy occurs as a result of the construction of my pieces using these simple geometric forms and the everyday nature of text and found objects to convey complex ideas or create an intricate overall image. I have been strongly influenced by the Swiss Style of design, particularly through the work of Armin Hofman; in addition, I am also inspired by the illustration style of artists such as Richard Perez. My use of graphic design is influenced by my educational experience in both design and marketing. This combined educational environment has caused me to critically consider marketing and advertising’s need to clearly and simply communicate ideas through interpretable images and typographic elements, while also accounting for the complexity of the underlying messages and meanings of these advertisements. I frequently use my medium to explore the need to bring as much attention to various contemporary social issues as is brought to traditional advertising campaigns, by treating the presentation of such issues in a manner similar to a marketing campaign.
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Aware Awake Alive, digital poster, 2015 13
E lissa D a h lgr en
I always saw a clear path that led to my development as a graphic designer and a photographer. However, the opportunity to explore other mediums and the realization of what a more personal investigation through art offered me recently put me on a new course as an artist. Last year when my son was diagnosed with Tourette’s, I used art, particularly graphic design and photography, as a way to not only bring awareness to an often-misunderstood disorder, but to more importantly discover what his diagnoses meant for us both, and find a way to resolve my feelings. This work ultimately became increasingly abstract and was fueled by a renewed interest in painting, printmaking, and mixed media work. This work began to naturally evolve beyond this single issue into a much wider self-exploration. My current work is essentially self-portraits in which I try to reconcile the various roles I play as a woman, a mother, and an artist. I look at how others, as well as my own expectations integrate into my identity as all three, both as a single unit and individually. My imagery if often layered and abstract, allowing the viewer to make their own connections to it.
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Dirty or Clean, mixed media on canvas, 2014 15
Jan et D ia z
In my practice, I focus on creating awareness of Mexico’s political and social issues. Coming from a Mexican family, I grew up wanting to know more about Mexican culture. After a trip to Mexico City during the summer of 2014, I realized how lucky I am to live in a country where I could pursue a better future by focusing on an education in art, something my parents did not have the opportunity to do in their native country. My work is currently concerned with the Mexican drug cartels and the many deaths that have been caused by them. The drug war in Mexico has existed for many years and has become increasingly important to my investigations. While I was in Mexico City, I also researched the connections between the way I display my work and the Pyramids of the Mayans and Aztecs. I like making connections between my work and the history of Mexico. I express these issues through my art in the form of screen-printing, sculpture, and installation. Screen-printing made me realize how much I enjoy working with prints and crave to learn more about this art form. Each print is different and unique in its own way. I look forward to learning different techniques so I can improve my skills. I enjoy teaching what I know about the medium, it helps me grow as an artist. While in Mexico, I had the opportunity to assist a professor and teach students about art. I learned that teaching the different ways to express and deliver a message through art can be a form of art on its own. Being able to teach students that art is a form of expression was a way for me to realize some of the goals I had envisioned when I started art school. That is when I decided I wanted to further my education and strengthen my ability to use the medium of my work to educate viewers.
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Untitled, installation, 2014 17
V ictor ia J o h n s o n
Through painting, sculpture and installation I create elements of architectural structures that suggest the roles played in the house and home. Often, I abstract these structures to a point of non-representation, emphasizing the form rather than relying on domestic objects to convey connotations of the home. In recent works performance and installation become the means of expressing my thoughts on the house and home as a broader reflection of my childhood. The minimal environments created in my sculptural installations are composed in a way that invites viewers to enter the space. Using materials such as old wood in contrast to vibrant colored vinyl, yarn, and paint, an atmosphere is created which suggests both the past and present. Using these same materials and colors in my costume design I present myself as an integrated element of the home. My physical presence within this environment emphasizes the inseparability of the artist as a part of the structure.
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House and Home, installation, 2014 19
S ar a Kor u pp
My approach to art, both visual and literary, is heavily influenced by my history with creative writing and a fairly open minded multicultural upbringing. I have been exploring the necessity of context, identity, and perspective in the presentation of narrative and the idea of continuous development and mercuriality of personal and cultural mythos. I am driven by an interest in the psychology of validation, normality, and persona, investigating process, intent, and interpretation as the building blocks of cross cultural interaction and understanding.
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Chesire Nekomata, mono print, 2015 21
Nic L awr en c e
My name is Nicholas DeGraw Lawrence. I have always loved to travel and experience new towns, cultures, and new perspectives. My paintings take on a 3rd and 4th dimension with my sculptural background and usage of time and memory. I feel as if I am experimenting with the limits of what is safe painting and what is taking it too far. Many artists maintain the concept of keeping it sweet and simple, using common principals of design, clean, and clear. I am all about the introspective design of chaos in the way that it tells a very elaborate story of ideas, memories, perspectives, biases, and the process of the painting itself. My works are living proof that the subconscious is real; such it is that I do not analyze what I am painting. I ignore my analytical frontal lobe, and reach deep into my past or future as I scribble onto the canvas. I stare at the painting and define the images in and around the lines of electric rhythm, and melody. Music, vibrant or dark, ringing or rich. A correlation of the continuum in my mind and real world manipulation.
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Yosemite Portrait, digital drawing, 2014 23
An th ony M ac iel
Because of my significant childhood interest in the development of ceramic fantasy creatures in film I have gravitated to clay as my main medium. Each character created is intended to evoke its own personal history and story and in turn to have the viewer relate to those stories. I am interested in combining cultural references like integrating clothing and hairstyles depending on which part of the world the sculpture is supposed to represent. By doing so I invoke emotional responses from the viewer. In addition my characters are intimately linked to the natural environment because I reference textures like bark, stone, moss and other plant life on the clay surfaces. My methods can even go as far as splicing together natural fauna with the human figure.
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Birdman, ceramic sculpture, 2015 25
Te r r y Ma c k
I do not usually think too hard about my art, the act of making it, or my place in that world. It has always been, for better or worse, something that I have had a subconscious need to do since the first time someone gave me a crayon. It began with comics in pencil and crayon on scraps of my parents’ used printer paper and shifted into the digital realm when I realized I could combine my interest in computers with my love of making things. I had gained access to the software that would allow me to, with time and a little more experience, translate all the crazy images I had in my head into working visuals on a screen. Today, my work is almost primarily digital or mixed media and I am relatively minimal in my approach. I use bold lines, bright colors, and familiar shapes to create stand-alone images that are more graphic in nature. As a designer, I value clear, easily read visuals and normally don’t fuss over greater meaning. Though, at times it does appear in my images. Other times, it is nothing more than my “Stupid Aesthetics”, shallow subject matter and forms that simply are what they are because that is just where my head was at the time, and I shift between those two goals as needed. Sometimes I am trying to say something, and other times it is just a drawing of a butt.
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PC&ME, acrylic and screen print on board, 2015 27
B obby Po n c e
Ever since my youth I understood art as a deeper form of expression; one that goes beyond the everyday languages and symbols we use to communicate. A work of art can express thoughts and feelings that might otherwise feel indescribable. This understanding is the basis of my all my artistic ventures. I enjoy creating art on a whim, without intention, letting the content of the work reveal itself during the process. It is definitely a journey into my subconscious that purges excess information and even reveals thoughts I was unaware of. While I have gained familiarity with many art practices, I continue to find myself captivated by photography. A photo can capture moments from life that exemplify the fundamental concepts of art. It is then up to the trained eye, along with the assistance of a camera, to search for and document these moments. Most times it takes fifty to a hundred shots just to get that one good one.Tide was that one good shot, capturing colors, motion, contrast, highlights, textures, and shadows; many of the basic elements of art. Since Tide is focused in on an area only a few inches in height yet contains so much dramatic action, I hope it encourages viewers to take a closer look at even the smallest things happening in the world around them and appreciate everything a bit more.
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Tide, photograph, 2015 29
S teph an ie R e iber t
I am producing art that seeks to express the psychological workings of the mind. To achieve this, I use different material forms to highlight how complex the conscious and unconscious mind are. I also put an emphasis on identity and bring awareness to mental disorders with my art, since I have had firsthand experiences with them. By studying Jackson Pollock, one can see the psychological link between creativity and the unconscious mind. While Pollock was in therapy, much of his work became a part of the “inside world” to express repressed emotions. I am conveying a similar narrative, not only about the “inside world,” but also the conscious “outside world”. Rather than limiting myself to only oil paints, I am using an array of mediums to help create a psychological and emotional connection between the art and the viewer. I feel that for each piece, the subject matter needs to be relevant to the materials used. A broken mirror, for example, gives off a completely different vibe than that same narrative presented on paper. I feel that using this approach brings forth a new kind of awareness, not only for myself, but for the spectators as well.
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Black Face, acrylic on wood, 2013 31
M ar gret R itc h ey
The formation of the abstract images is an ongoing question. My hands connect with my psyche and the outcome of that connection is surprising. On a closer study of the work my emotions are stirred by the penetrating eyes and body shapes that are found. Sensitive emotions and angry reactions show up at the least expected times. In sensitive moments, I am inspired by shapes I see in nature. Angry emotions are usually resolved with my hands in oil or clay. One memory that occurs quite often is my image standing at the gas pump of a family business. I have one hand on my hip, the other on the hose putting gasoline in the tank—of course, the car and the gas is provided by my parents. My comment is, “Boy, when I grow up and get my own job, I’m never going to pump my own gas again!” Childhood memories play an important role in my work.
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Never Again, mono print, 2015 33
An th ony Silva
I am an artist primarily working in the graphic design and painting fields. I am inspired by and interested in many different mediums of art, though, and my work also delves into the worlds of sculpture and printmaking as well. My paintings often take on surreal imagery and muted tones, while my graphic design is simple and bold. I strive to bring a contemporary feel to my work, which is influenced by everything from philosophy and technology to comic books and several currently working painters and illustrators. I pride myself in my knowledge of current culture, and I strive to bring that modern sense into the work I create, while also addressing my own developing thoughts and theories on life and the human condition.
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Consider the Tvetrapod #1, acrylic on board, 2015 35
S u sie Val le
Currently, my work is about growing up as a first generation Mexican-American woman. The experiences and lessons I have learned and how they have modeled the person I am today. I believe art has healing capabilities and has always been a therapeutic process for me. Throughout the years I have continued exploring this practice and it has allowed me to express what I cannot verbally communicate. I find inspiration through my life experiences and the materials I use. Although my work can reflect my thoughts, fears, and situations of my past, present and future, they are not always relevant to my life or me. I enjoy exploring the materials of clay, wax, plaster, aluminum and bronze and processes of metal casting in creating some of my more recent narrative works.
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Untitled, wood, wire, and acrylic, 2014 37
An d rew Wilkin s o n
In my youth I considered myself incapable of rendering the human form in drawings with any sense of realism but most of my work now is made in a retaliation to that notion of incapability. Many of my works incorporate the human figure within graphite drawings on varying scales, comprised of a plethora of marks, resulting in a realist representational image. All of my recent pieces follow a kind of visual formula created by the implementation of a set of certain criteria: the use of a famous artwork, usually classical in nature, concepts or figures related to a current condition, and lastly a trick, mainly through the use of wordplay. Words are integral to the way in which I create my visual language and they allow for the incorporation of humor with puns and play on words. Each piece utilizes a previous classical artwork to highlight a type of artisanship that is also emulated through the classical mediums, graphite on paper, and the skill based act of making a mechanical drawing. Similarly the use of a current condition is to emphasize a type of artistry found in the work outside the technical skill, and this can be seen with the concepts and tricks employed. Obfuscation of the message varies from piece to piece, with some being more obvious than others, but the underlying ideas are about subverting preconceived notions. My own preconceived notions are subverted when I test the limits of my abilities, and the works allow for comments on issues like identity, power and the current art world. Every new piece is a reason to build on the skills I have acquired and a chance to examine a multitude of evolving concepts.
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Venus of Olympia, graphite on paper, 2015 39
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B A I M AG E S A N D S TAT EM EN T S
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M egan Gr iggs
My art is a cumulative reflection of my past and present. It is a reflection of things that I have learned about my self and our society over the past 23 years of my life, my work is a postmodern expression of self in retrospect to what we are taught versus what is actually out there in this world. Combining these elements of self and society to create an outlook toward positivity for exactly who I am, who I have become, and how I will change in the future.
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Judgement Day, mono print, 2013 43
R ob er t Gu din o
My artwork often varies in style. I like to try different types of media and techniques, but my focus is mainly between graphic design and abstract artwork. I love both because they are so different but still share similarities. Graphic design to me is all about simplicity and getting my message across clearly, while having high aesthetic qualities. Abstract artwork on the other hand is much more liberating. I like to let my unconscious mind do the work as far as subject matter, but continue to have the same composition principles I have when practicing graphic design.
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Hummingbird, digital drawing, 2014 45
V ictor ia Har dy
My art is mostly representational with abstract elements which results in areas in my work that have less definition and are more open to interpretation. This combination of abstraction and representational allows me to turn something ordinary into something strange. The goal is to make people spend more time trying to figure out what certain objects are.
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Untitled, drawing, 2014 47
An n ie H u y n h
Artists gather their inspiration everywhere and anywhere and from anyone and everyone. At the young age of two, I was already using the computer. I remember from the home videos, watching myself draw and paint on MS-DOS paint. I was painting a red apple. A few years later, I was painting and drawing in my elementary classes during art time. I enjoyed arts and crafts very much since I was a kid. When I reached high school, I knew that I wanted to study art. To be more specific, I wanted to learn more about graphic design. I was introduced to the world of graphic design when I was a freshman or sophomore. I discovered Adobe products, and eventually taught myself how to use Photoshop and Image Ready. It was really fun and addictive making these simple graphics. During this time, I would make graphics for my friends so they could use them on MySpace. With that, I learned some basic HTML coding. It is weird how time has changed. I can no longer draw and paint like I used to when I was in elementary, but I still enjoy drawing digitally on the computer. My biggest inspiration is whatever I see around me. I have my notebook or sketchbook, and I doodle ideas and make a list of what inspires me for my next works of art. In the world of graphic design, there are many other types of art that are captured through graphics. What captures my inspiration are printmaking, typography, web design, logos, and the colors and typefaces used.
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Don’t Stop Believin’ , mixed media, 2014 49
D an iel Ju e n eman
My art is usually taken from what is happening in my life when I am making it. Whether it is going good or bad affects the style in which I sculpt, paint, draw, or print. I try to take my emotions and feelings and put them into each piece, I am not always successful at this so I sometimes come up with a piece that does not represent my feelings at all but instead just what my hands were doing that day. While I was engaged to my wife most of my pieces were about marriage. Not just my upcoming marriage but about societies view of it as well as divorce and other things that come from it, I took what was going on in my life and expanded on it, this is what I love to do, expand on my feelings and try to tell a story with the piece that I do. I just let my mind go blank and let my instincts take over where the brush lands or where the paint drops. This is where I believe I get my best art from. When I dive in without thinking and let my art just flow through me this is when I am my best.
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Untitled, monoprint, 2014 51
To ny Lor
As an artist, I do my best to develop prints that speak both to me and to others about the beauty of Hmong embroidery designs. Part of my process before I start making prints of Hmong embroidery designs, is to read and look at pictures of Hmong culture and designs. I do not want to just capture the Hmong embroidery designs in a series of prints, but rather with meaningful, colorful, and thoughtful designs that bring them to life. Try with every finished print to give life to a culture that is losing its traditional elements of design. The challenge with creating Hmong designs is it captures the moment of the past, then opens the eye for the present. My artwork speaks, not only to me, but also for the Hmong culture.
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Untitled, relief print, 2014 53
Ar n ie L ar a-M ar tin e z
My art defines me, and reflects my past experiences. Art has always been a integral part of my life. Drawing my favorite cartoon characters when I was little started my fascination in art. I always loved drawing, painting, and most of all just the act of creating. The goal of my artistic career is working in a major animation studio; creating the same cartoons that inspired me when I was young. My most recent work has been created with charcoal, and acrylic mediums. Stylistically my art is semi-abstract, with some social commentary and with a wild imaginary theme. I explored my unconscious a great deal and try to use a combination of different brush strokes, and marks to produce my paintings.
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Defiance, charcoal on paper, 2014 55
R ich ard O n o c h ie
One of the things I admire most about my artwork is drawing in my sketchbook. Thinking of creative ideas about how to sketch the human body and how to manipulate it digitally. I remember the time in 8th grade when I first decided to draw a bike and took the time to get the details of the tire. Even though it took forever, I kept practicing with different mediums such as charcoal, color pencils and even oil pastels. This is what my artwork is. I try to engage the audience with amount of detail especially in my drawings of figures. My work is about understanding how the figure is constructed.
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Childhood, digital drawing, 2015 57
B eatr iz Pe r e z
I set out to tell original stories in the form of graphic novels. The designs of my characters, creatures and worlds are influenced by the many folklores and cultures of past to present. My style is a synthesis of manga, Western comics and children’s animations. I make my characters expressive through the combination of body language and facial expressions. The characters’ designs, everything from clothes, to hair, to eyes, to color palette, are extensions of their personalities. What makes up my personality is split and elaborated into many characters, while other characters are influenced by people I personally know. I hope to create characters that are unique to the next, essential to the story, and memorable to the audience.
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Sequential Art, acrylic and pen on paper, 2014 59
AC K N OW LE D GE M E N TS
California State University Stanislaus
Dr. Joseph F. Sheley, President
Dr. James T. Strong, Provost/Vice President of Academic Affairs
Dr. James A. Tuedio, Dean, College of the Ar ts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Depar tment of Ar t
Dr. Roxanne Robbin, Chair, Professor
Dean De Cocker, Professor
Jessica Gomula, Associate Professor
David Olivant, Professor
Gordon Senior, Professor
Richard Savini, Professor
Daniel Edwards, Assistant Professor
Dr. Staci Scheiwiller, Assistant Professor
Meg Broderick, Administrative Suppor t Assistant II
Andrew Cain, Instructional Technician I
Jon Kithcar t, Equipment Technician II
University Ar t Gallery Ar t Space on Main
Dean De Cocker, Director
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