Portfolios

Fall ’20 – Artists’ Websites

24 August 202020 January 2022 by Glenn Zucman

Alisha Archuleta

Graphic Design, December ’20

As a Graphic Designer I focus on Typography and Video Production. As a visual artist I look to exhibiting my work at a gallery like KGB Studios in LA. And one day exhibiting at my own gallery.

Amber Santos

Illustration, December ’20

I am an illustrator but I consider myself a storyteller first. Through the use of digital and traditional methods I strive to always tell a story with my work. To always offer meaning and insight to my audience. My art is colorful and playful. And always focused on contributing to my goal of bringing entertainment and awe to my audience.

Anh Ngo

Graphic Design, December ’20

As a child, my eye was always drawn to the details of colorful things. Now, as a working Graphic Designer, I use that lifetime of attention to detail to create Product Packaging, Identity Systems, Financial Reports, and Catalogs. My goal is to unobtrusively polish every detail so that they bring viewer’s eyes to the importance and value of my client’s products. I work with Illustrator, In-Design, Photoshop, and other digital tools to achieve these goals.

Ashlesha Sathe

Intermedia Artist, May ’21

I am a process-driven artist. From my initial concepts, I choose media that will best guide me in my process of discovery. This tends to unfold in a raw and natural way. I am currently exploring two parallel tracks: first, to capture the environment as it is. And second, to use my power as an artist to enhance the perception of reality. With this work, I invite my audience to a deeper consideration of issues. I hope my work encourages my audience to rethink many of their preconceived ideas.

I am a first-generation Indian woman in America. I am a young person passionate about art’s ability to shape perception, reality, and more progressive cultural norms. Marshall McLuhan’s “the medium is the message” defined so much of 20th-century media culture. I believe that Intermedia is the 21st-century message. My work will continue to discover new ways of shaping our cultural narrative.

Crystal Malagon

Illustration/Teaching Credential, May ’21

On completion of my Illustration degree, I will return to school for a teaching credential in art. I love working with children. I want to bring art to them at the earliest possible age. Our culture needs more art in schools, not less. In the fullness of time, art is what endures. I want to share the beauty and power of art with the young students who represent the future of our world.

Fabian Rincon

Painting, December ’20

I think it’s important for artists to paint about the times they live in. Since I live in political times, my work tends to be political. I focus on figurative paintings in oil that examine people causing harm to other people. I enjoying piling thick amounts of paint into certain areas and distorting many of the figures in my pieces.

I am the son of two Mexican immigrants. An art career is not exactly something immigrant parents hope for their child. I didn’t really choose art, art chose me. Although not my parents’ first choice, I believe my work honors their struggle. Art is the best way I know to fight for a better world.

Gerardo Casillas Flores

Concept Art/Illustration, May ’21

I love the challenge of designing to meet a client’s goals. There’s a reward in leveraging my client’s ideas with my personal style. My goal is always to capture viewer attention and to inspire. I carefully plan design elements to produce works that are spontaneous and fun. Often I’ll sketch out a project in traditional media and then produce the finished work with digital tools.

Heather Schoettler

Illustration/Graphic Design, May ’21

I am a Graphic Designer and Illustrator which means I usually work both digitally and classically. The traditional media I work with include ink, charcoal, and graphite. Digitally I work with Illustrator, In-Design, Photoshop and Procreate.

I create commercial designs for product packaging, marketing, financial reports, and medical information materials. My process is to develop a design system of color pallet, font, imagery and aesthetics. Each of these elements is designed with the audience in mind. My goal is to maximize the power of my client company’s communication with their audience. My design style consistently evokes feelings of friendliness, reliability and honesty.

Jiachen Xu

Graphic Design, December ’20

Kathy Nolasco

Graphic Design + Photography, December ’20

As a Graphic Designer, I work with typography, color, and shape. These are the primal tools I use to bring an idea to life. I help clients communicate with their audience by focusing on storytelling. Compelling storytelling is compelling design is effective marketing.

As a Photographer, my work follows my life and the experience of living in a big city as a brown kid. My recent work is an ode to my Oaxacan roots and what it means to be indigenous. These images follow my family’s everyday life and illuminate the importance of community.

Kelly Suh

Cartoon Illustration, December ’20

As a cartoon illustrator, my art focuses on childish humor by creating a twist in certain everyday words and using immature and slightly inappropriate jokes. I find inspiration in the work of artists such as Heikala and Kaia Tseng. Their works feature simple, rounded characters, and soothing color palettes. I find this simplicity an effective way of telling peaceful narratives that mix fantasy and everyday life. My mainly female protagonists are drawn with simple lines and flat color. Their small bodies and exaggerated movements include long, jointless limbs that flow like cooked noodles.

Ken Yi

Graphic Design/Advertising, December ’20

My focus is on Identity Systems, Logo Design, Branding and Advertising. I enjoy observing people and picturing their stories. Trying to understand what influences have led to their current behavior helps me think through design and advertising problems. I think everyone is interesting. My job as a designer is to take the power of that human potential and shape it into messages that communicate effectively.

Lauren Reasoner

Video Games/Illustration, December ’20

I focus on imaginative and fantastical creature building and character design. Inspired by Raf Grassetti for his beautiful character models. Hayao Miyazaki for his bold characters and stories. My work straddles the line between cartoon line work and realistic rendering. Through video game design I look to create worlds for people to ease their minds and relive the stresses of the day. Yes, video games can be a tool for better mental health!

Marcus Moutra

Book Publishing, December ’20

At the age of 5 I decided to become an author and create unique cartoon characters for each story. That vision led me to pursue painting and later book publishing.

After the defeat of King Darwin and Queen Vidal, the F.S.P.’s and the Conquerors were able to enjoy their summer vacation. To no surprise, summer vacation ended quickly, and it was time for our fairies and heroes to head back to Spells for their spellbinding sophomore year at Fairy High Academy…
Marcus Moutra

Mikey Mokes

Graphic Design/Illustration, December ’20

Minimalism
Abstraction
Negative Space
Pop Culture
Nike
Fast Food
KAWS
Takashi Murakami
James Jean

I am a creator of images.
I abstract real life to tell a story.
I observe.

Glenn Zucman, Instructor

Sharing our Stories
My favorite part of the LBSU School of Art (SOA) is visiting the SOA Art Gallery Courtyard each week. Every week 5 more student artists share their unique lives, experiences, and aesthetics with the campus community.

My one disappointment is that so many of these engaging artists don’t have websites. I’m fortunate this semester to be teaching Art 490, Artists’ Websites. If the students have learned half as much as I have this semester, then they have learned a lot.

A portfolio is a never-ending part of an artist’s life journey. I feel privileged to have helped these students launch web portfolios. I am excited to see where the sinuous paths of their careers take them in the years and decades to come.