By Jessica Claycomb, College Relations Intern
Colorful and bold are just two words to describe Katelyn Duke’s art exhibit. Duke, a senior from Marshall, Ill., recently exhibited her works at the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College Art Gallery. On display were works from her freshman to her current senior year.
Evaluating all of her previous artwork to find pieces for the show was the most rewarding part of the preparation. “As the years went on, I could see how I had improved,” Duke commented.
Presented in the show are a wide variety of mediums including oil paint, digital work, pencil, and mixed mediums. Duke said art is an eclectic study and therefore the mixed media makes art shows more interesting and engaging.
Duke pointed out two pieces in her show as her favorites: the oil painting “Colors” and the digitally created “Encoded Zoo” pictures. “Colors” gave Duke “the ability to express emotions through colors,” she says, while she enjoys “Encoded Zoo” because it was created in the program Adobe Illustrator which is her favorite program for her graphic design courses and it allowed her to start from scratch and use her own sketches then transfer them to the program.
Looking back as a senior, Duke loved all of her graphic design classes with Rebecca Andrews, associate professor of graphic design. “She’s inspired me to think more as a graphic designer and to make my artwork look more clean and sharp with line and form.”
What is the most memorable lesson she has learned? Well, Duke will admit it didn’t come from the books. She has learned that rather than doing what you think is better, as a designer you need to do what the client wants because it is always the client that you want to make happy. And she has had plenty of experience to put this lesson into action.
As part of the curriculum for her major, Duke is required to work with different clients to get real world experience. These clients include the Aurora Literary Arts Magazine; SMWC campus ministry, designing the t-shirt for the alternative spring break trip; and an internship at Big Picture where she created posters and business cards.
Most recently, her work has taken her to the corporate office of Larry Paul Tanning Spa in Terre Haute, Ind. There she works in marketing, making billboards, commercials, and mixed promotions for the business. Duke plans on working full-time with the spa after graduation in May of 2013. “I’m really just focused on maintaining a good, stable career to where I can make myself feel more successful as the years go on.”