Look for Ciara Fountain’s “hand series” in the Senior Art Exhibit in the spring, along with the work of Briana Bradley, Alana Jolly, Jessie Parker, John-Paul Pierce, Jonathan Sims and Justice Wright.
If you’re an art major, your final exam in drawing class isn’t about essay questions. It’s about drawing. It’s about a journey to interpret the world around you, express it visually and evaluate the process.
Here’s a look at one art major, Ciara Fountain, as she creates pieces for the Senior Art Exhibit coming up in the spring.
Fountain is working on a series of drawings of hands. Her hands, her parents’ hands, her grandmother’s hands. She chose a challenging media, India ink.
“I’ve enjoyed working with all different kinds of media. I like oil painting, because you can go back and change things, but I was bothered by the chemical smell. I like working with computers for the same reason. Everything can be adjusted and it’s fast,” Fountain said.
“India ink is different. But I wanted to tackle it, get into it, learn how to use it.”
Her choice of models was inspired by her grandmother, who introduced her to art, and her father, who works with blueprints and mechanical drawings.
During her mid-term, she presented some of the completed drawings with her comments:
- “I began my series using my own left hand for reference. I had an idea how I wanted to use the India ink and started experimenting with brushes and layers of transparency as I added water to the ink.”
- “Family members have been my most accessible models, and they each have individuality. My hands are similar to my mother’s, but hers are slightly longer.”
- “My father has been a mechanic and carpenter. His hands reflect both his occupations and his age, and I hoped to capture it.”
- “I also wanted to focus on hands in motion or interaction. I began with my grandmother’s craft-making. As with my parents, she shows individuality in her hands and their capabilities. Crocheting is one of her favorite pastimes.”
- “Once my household has settled for the evening, my conure bird visits everyone. Sometimes, he enjoys curling up in hands, and usually picks my father’s. I consider emotions, such as gentleness, an important expression of hands.”
Dr. Read Diket, chair of the Art Department, says Ciara Fountain’s work shows intense focus and enormous planning: “She combines drawing skills with ideational strengths drawn from graphic design experiences. Ciara provides leadership in the department by offering astute and insightful remarks during critical analyses of her work and that of her peers.”
Fountain has decided to pursue a career as a graphic artist – not because she doesn’t love studio work, but she says she’s not fast enough.
“Each of these drawings of hands took four to five hours. I like to take my time,” Fountain said.
“I don’t think I can, or want to, produce pieces fast enough to work on commission. I like working with art on computers, and I’ll keep my artistic work as part of my personal life.”
Look for Ciara Fountain’s completed “hand series” in the Senior Art Exhibit in the spring, along with the work of other graduating art majors: Briana Bradley, Alana Jolly, Jessie Parker, John-Paul Pierce, Jonathan Sims and Justice Wright.
