Student Spotlight: Julien Nicholas

Julien is a junior art major at Roanoke College.

VIA: How long have you been creating artwork and/or involved with the arts? 

Julien: I’m not even sure I can recall how far back I began drawing and painting. I have been immersed in the arts from a very young age.

VIA: What is your medium of choice for creating your work? 

J: I am a mixed media artist. I find it difficult to narrow down my medium of choice, however, I find myself using alcohol based markers more frequently than others.

VIA: What style or period of art inspires you as an artist? Who are some of your favorite artists? 

J: Modern art and pop art are my main influences. Some of my favorite artists are Yoshitaka Amano, Audrey Kawasaki, and in photography, Richard Avedon.

VIA: What is your leading inspiration when you create your work? 

J: My biggest inspiration in creating my work is music. Music influences the messages behind my work, the emotions they convey, and the overall themes. I am driven by music and use my favorite artists’ songs as my muse.

VIA: Are there other passions or interests you have that tie into your work at all? 

J: One of my biggest passions has been and always will be fashion design. Having a background in costuming from a young age, I found myself very interested in design and construction of costumes and garments. My biggest influences being Alexander McQueen and Gareth Pugh, I am drawn to the odd and unique. These interests tie into my artwork in that my aesthetic strays from the ordinary and reaches for the unique and extraordinary.

VIA: What are your plans for after college? 

J: After college I hope to move to New York City and continue my education by enrolling in FIT’s graduate program, in order to fuse my love for art and fashion.

This article was originally published in the September/October 2012 issue of VIA Noke Magazine.

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Student Spotlight: Megan Phillips

Megan is a rising sophomore and attends Burton Center for the Arts.

What is your medium of choice for creating your artwork? 

My medium of choice varies on what I’m doing usually, to be honest. If I have an idea that I think would look better painted, I paint, or if I think it would look better in graphite, I use pencil. My most used medium would probably be ink and ballpoint pen; I really enjoy working with ink. 

What style or period of art inspires you as an artist? 

A mixture of art from different time periods inspires me as an artist. I really love older works of art from the 1800’s and from the Renaissance; they’re big inspirations for me. At the same time I am inspired by a lot of more modern street art. I’m still learning so I try to draw inspiration from all time periods and styles of art! 

Who are some of your favorite artists? 

Since I first got started in art after looking at artists on the Internet, I have hundreds of favorite artists from different sites! When it comes to local artists, Toobz is my biggest inspiration. I adore his work; he’s really someone I look up to. 

What are your plans for after high school? 

I want to be a sort of Renaissance woman, by being established in various fields. My passions are art, music/piano, and history. I have a lot of plans for after high school. I would like to become a professional artist, pianist/muscian and plan to go to college to learn as much as I can about these subjects. If everything works out eventually settle down as a history teacher. It is a pretty ambitious plan but I’m going to try my best to get to my goals by starting to work on them now! 

This article was originally published in the September/October 2012 issue of VIA Noke Magazine.

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Student Spotlight: Ciara Roberts

Ciara Roberts is a local college student who is going a far less traditional route than many of her peers when it comes to her studies in digital photography. Currently residing in Ferrum, she is heading into her second year at the New York Institute for Photography from the comfort of her own home. “NYIP sends me books and assignments; once I complete the assignment I mail it in and they send back grades,” she explains. But working remotely does not mean that her education is any less strenuous. “It’s more hands-on that I thought it would be, seeing as you don’t attend actual classes. But you do the work when it’s convenient to you. I enjoy it quite a bit.”

Her talent clearly shines though, overshadowing any doubts of such an independent education, and her work reflects her strong understanding of light and composition. Her wish to eventually find a job in the fashion photography industry is also very evident in her choice of subject matter, which consists largely of editorial-style portraits. But her leading inspiration differs from day to day. “It could vary from a thought, an insect, or a skull,” she explains, referring to photographs she took using a skull as her subject. “It’s whatever catches my eye that moment.” Some of her favorite artists are Emily Soto, Andy Warhol, Rankin, Van Gogh, and Salvador Dali.

Ciara’s other passion is collecting vintage items, ranging from clothing and accessories to antique cameras. “Usually the stranger the better,” she says of her approach in choosing these pieces. “At times these items make their way into my photography.” 

More of her work can be found on her website at capturedbyciara.com.

This article was originally published in the July issue of VIA Noke Magazine.

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Student Spotlight: Peyton Stanley

Local student and artist Peyton Stanley will be a senior at Community High School this fall. Although she only recently began tapping into her artistic talents in a serious manner, she has been creative since she was very young. “I have been interested in arts since I was finger painting and drawing in coloring books in elementary school,” she explained, “but it wasn’t until my junior year of high school that I really began to take it seriously.”

She has a firm grasp on her own style of painting, which is clearly inspired by some of her favorite abstract expressionists from the 20th century; Wassily Kandinsky, James Rosenquist, and Sol LeWitt. 

Although she has a sizable collection of work created in oil and charcoal, photography is her favorite medium. Her photography work makes a similar approach to her subjects as her paintings, capturing images from unconventional angles and perspectives. Two of her favorite photographers are the photorealist and painter Chuck Close and local Lexington, Virginia native Sally Mann.

“I would like to continue studying the arts at Memphis College of Art or Virginia Commonwealth University. I plan on at least minoring in art, without a doubt,” Peyton explains. “My ultimate dream is to be able to support myself with my photography and paintings.”

This article was originally published in the July issue of VIA Noke Magazine.

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Student Spotlight: Eddie Resnick

It takes little more than a glance to appreciate the detail that goes into Eddie Resnick’s illustrations. “That one took 52 hours,” he says, pointing out a detailed sketch of a lion as I flip through his portfolio. “The ball point pen takes me twice as long.” He starts each piece with a sketch which he then goes over with a Micron, finishing some of them with colorful Faber-Castell India ink. “I work on them when I get bored at work, if no one is there.”

Eddie’s interest in illustration started when he was in elementary school and he has been doing it ever since. “A friend and I were in a contest to draw the owl for the front page of the yearbook for our grade. He told them that I cheated, so I didn’t get chosen. So I was like, ‘I’m going to beat this kid. I’m going to get better than this kid if it takes me my entire life.’ I think that’s what started that.” 

And his competitiveness didn’t stop there. Two years into his college education, Eddie is waiting to hear if he has been accepted into VCU’s highly-competitive illustration program. “[It] would be a great opportunity. They’re fourth in the nation right now.” He is hoping to make the move to Richmond with a friend and to possibly start a t-shirt design company in the future.

While many of his pieces are of animals, the trend is not intentional. “I do like animals, but it’s just whatever I feel like drawing. Anything that I feel I can portray on paper, I try to do. A lot of it is imagination based. It should be what you can think of, and what your capabilities are.”

Like Eddie's Facebook page "Eddie Resnick Art" to keep up with him.

This article was originally published in the June 2012 issue of VIA Noke Magazine.

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Student Spotlight: Jordan Poole

Jordan Poole has been as artist as long as he can remember. His work ranges from still life studies and portraiture to conceptual pieces inspired by social issues. His choices of medium are just as varied. “I have no single medium that I prefer to work with. I believe it is important to understand art as multifaceted and through a variety of study and mediums I can enhance that understanding.”

“I am inspired by nearly every movement in art and each new view. I have recently become inspired by Joyce Faulknor, and Jesi Pace Berkley, and I will always find inspiration in the works of Jackson Pollock and my father David Poole. My inspiration is ever differing. I will see something that will spark a train of thought and usually my art will be its conclusion, and each is significantly different, but occasionally I will continue to produce from a single thought.”

Jordan also finds inspiration in music. “I think that art and music share similar aesthetic qualities in beauty and the way they deliver messages. I believe I am motivated by music and art similarly.”

After his time at Western, Jordan plans to attend the Douglas Education Center for Tom Savini’s Special Makeup Effects program. His dream is to work as a prosthetic makeup artist for the film industry creating special makeup effects. Additionally, he says he plans to continue his fine art exploration. “I am always willing to sell any of my artwork to someone who appreciates it, along with accepting commissions for beautiful new endeavors.”

This article was originally published in the June 2012 issue of VIA Noke Magazine.

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