| ERIN
RIES is another graduate of our school who has gone on to
follow a career in art. “I love patterns and ornament and have
a passion for color, so it seemed natural that I would gravitate
toward graphic design. There I can concentrate on creating images
that portray a message or idea that can be applied to life in a useful
way.” After graduating from The Art Academy and teaching with us for several years, Erin attended Iowa State University where she graduated with a BFA. Currently, Erin works as a full time graphic designer at Gina B. Designs, specializing in greeting card design, layout and trend research. On evenings and weekends Erin teaches at our school, passing on solid drawing, painting and composition skills that have served her so well in her own artistic pursuits. Concerning teaching, Erin is motivated by her own experiences while attending The Art Academy: “When I was taking classes as a child and teenager I loved being able to try and understand how the old masters created their artwork. I was fascinated with how a painting was put together to create a successful image. Those aspects of arranging and layering to create something beautiful is what led me to make design my career. It’s one of the reasons I believe in the benefits of traditional art training. “Traditional art training helps all artists, even if they’re not going to work in a traditional style. The principles of good value relationships, color arrangement, and composition; of focal points, symmetry and asymmetry and positive and negative shapes; and the technical skills that I learned while I was a student at The Art Academy, are all things that I apply directly to the work I do today. I think that’s because traditional training teaches a sensible way of seeing and analyzing art. It’s an important element, to understand those basics, so when you’re in the middle of a creative project you can assess what’s working and what’s not. Then, through your acquired knowledge, you can make the right decision to move the piece along in a positive direction.” “Passing on those skills to young artists is important to me. Every piece of art I create is influenced by some experience that I have had in my life. Then, I take my talent and knowledge and try and create something beautiful. It’s that relationship of experience, knowledge, and beauty that I want to give to others.” |
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