In the eighth grade, I took a semester of art. I soon withdrew from the class, because I wanted to be more devoted to band. Later, in the 10th grade, I enrolled in an art class once more. That class lasted two weeks for me because the art teacher told me my drawing skills were poor and I should stick to the performing arts, which I did for the remainder of high school.
I realized that the visual arts weren’t for me, until I was introduced to Photoshop in the 11th grade and took a Photoshop class my senior year. Photoshop became a big part of my life when I noticed what I can accomplish with it. The marketing material I created was great and had a high demand. I was making banners, logos and business cards.
I started developing a love for art till my second semester at the university, when I enrolled in two art classes: Design 1 and Drawing 1. The classes were mandatory because it was part of the core for my bachelor of fine arts. I wasn’t really looking forward to these classes because my concentration was in graphic design, not studio art. I wanted to go straight into Photoshop, because my drawing skills are still very poor to this day.
For the courses, it was mandatory to attend exhibit openings at the Art Gallery at Rusteberg Hall and write a critique on an art piece from each show. At the time I was like, “Ugh, art,” but I was able to gain something out of it.
I was able to meet great people. With the same group of people, we attended many art events in downtown Brownsville. The more gallery openings I attended with these people, the closer we grew together. Eventually, we created a student organization called RGV Blend, an art club on the Brownsville campus.
Toward the end of my second semester at the university, I was able to appreciate art. I learned that art is beauty, creativity and describes one’s feelings. Now, I am able to say, “This piece has a nice sense of movement,” and I can relate to it.
Going to art galleries with peers helped me understand the meaning of art and that what I create on Photoshop is a form of art. In high school, I would belittle classmates when they carried around their art portfolio. Now, I am the one carrying the art portfolio. I guess karma got me there.
