Story and Photo

By Issac Belota 

Multimedia Journalist

Q:  How did you get interested in art?

A:  I have been artistic my entire life ever since I think it was third grade. I did an art collage in a mandatory art class. I loved it, and I did art all through school. Every year I did an art class.

Q: Do you mostly do sketching or are you into all types of mediums? 

A: My favorite thing is painting. I love to paint, but I’m slowly falling in love with charcoal.

Q: What do you love about painting?

A:  I like the feel, the kind of mood it sets almost, and the euphoria I get from other people experiencing my work and commenting on it, like,“I really like this”or “How you did that.”

Q: You said you are slowly falling in love with charcoal art, why is that?

A: I was very intimidated by it at the beginning. I had never worked with charcoal before, and plus the size of the paper it’s 18 x 24. And it’s really big to someone who works in a really small sketchbook or on a canvas. Like the canvas can be huge and I’d be fine with it. It’s just drawing that I found intimidating.

Q:  Do you see things that inspire you?

A: Oh, all the time. I love to take pictures of things to kind of inspire my artwork. I have one I took the other day, and I really want to paint it. It was in a sepia tone. It was an empty canvas without a drawing and I was sitting in a chair next to it. It was taken from across the room. It was so cool. That is another thing I love photography.

Q: Do you like just any type of artistic endeavor?

A: Yes, I love just kind of showing who I am through my art. So, people can experience it, because I have a lot of trouble describing myself to other people. So it’s easier to just do the art and then they experience me though the art.

Q: Where do you see your art career going from here?

A: My dream is when I graduate in May with my general studies to take the summer off and then come back in the fall for visual communications.  I want to one day have my own on-the-road company where people can hire me to do photo shoots and take pictures. I also would love to work for National Geographic. That is my big time goal to work and take pictures for National Geographic. 

Q: Why National Geographic?

A: Because I love to take landscape photography, and I have a good eye for stuff like that. All my stuff gets lots of compliments. I even had someone tell me they would buy my piece if it was printed and blown up. So, I was like I should make a career out of that.