My name is Shayla. I am in the Art Education program at UW Stout, concentrating most on drawing. Throughout my whole life I have been interested in art and knew that one day I would seek an art-related career. I graduated high school in 2006, and at that point I was unsure what I wanted to major in. The following fall I attended UW Marshfield/Wood County, where I completed many art courses in drawing, 2D and 3D design, and printmaking. I was greatly influenced by the art professor there, Kitty Kingston, and I decided my concentration would be art education. After two years of studying at UW Marshfield, I transferred to UW Stout in the fall of 2008.
One of my favorite pieces I’ve done was completed at UW Marshfield. It was from a pointillism exercise that had to portray three natural objects in a still life setting. I used a pine cone, a rose, and a seashell because I find the spiral forms to be very interesting.
After two years of studying at UW Marshfield, I transferred to UW Stout in the fall of 2008. I found UW Stout to be a great campus with a lot of opportunity for art majors. Last summer, I had the chance to study drawing and painting at Goldsmiths University in London, England with UW Stout’s “London Summer Art” program, which was a wonderful experience for me. The course focused on studying the people and landscapes within different areas of England and Scotland, keeping a sketchbook and journal, taking photographs, and then portraying those images and emotions in our work. I completed many oil pastel, graphite, and ink drawings, which is some of the best work I’ve done. It is definitely the best course I’ve taken through Stout so far.
I am entering my fifth year of college, and I hope to graduate in the spring of 2012. From there, my plans are to return to England to travel for a few months and visit some friends. I then hope to move to the eastern coast of Maine to begin my teaching career, and of course continue practicing art.
I am taking Life Drawing I not only because it is a requirement, but also because I’d like to improve my drawing skills as much as I can. I especially need to get better at drawing people, so I’m excited to track my progress in this class.