The Art and Design department hosted receptions for two seniors on Oct. 31. Olivia Lawson presented her portfolio to the Asbury community.
Lawson’s exhibit is entitled “The Heart’s Palette.” When asked about her inspiration, she said “I was looking back on things I like and what makes me happy.” In her exhibit, Lawson highlights the many animals that have been in her life. She shares that she loves to be outside and with animals and people she loves. These are certainly at the forefront of much of her work.
These themes of happiness and positivity are what drove Lawson’s work down to her choices of color. She says, “Color provides emotion. When you use bright colors, you feel good. I also wanted to experiment with new colors. Who’s ever seen a pink dog? It’s more about what you’re experiencing and less about what the color actually is.”
Lawson’s medium is digital art, but as she explained her creative process it is certainly more than just a digital creation. “I use a reference photo, then begin a sketch with pencil,” Lawson said. “From there I use brush markers and colored pencils. I then put it into Procreate, and the background of the image is completely digital.” Lawson explained that this process combines her love for graphic design, photography and sketching. Her process continues to emphasize the importance of having fun with whatever you are doing.
Her time at Asbury has not always been a straight path. “I came in as an education major, but I wanted to broaden my horizons.” Lawson talks about her love of kids but hesitation about going into the classroom by saying, “there’s only so much you can do within art education.” She shares that with a wider art degree, she would be able to gain more experience in a lot of different areas of art.
“It is a small program, but we are growing. Because it’s small, we get to do a little bit of everything. I do feel like I have improved a lot since being here. I have learned a lot about communication and how to share my work but also take criticism. Sharing work is the hardest part because it feels like you are bearing your heart to people,” Lawson said.
Lawson’s final comment on taking criticism for her art was encouraging for all artists. “What I love about art is that it is so subjective. No matter what, someone is going to like your art.”
“The Heart’s Palette” is on display Oct. 28 to Nov. 22 in the Red Gallery in the Bistro.
