Three Rivers Community College is proud to present the “Three Rivers Visual Fine Arts Graduate Exhibition,” featuring the work of 2020 graduating students. The artists graduated in May 2020 with a Visual Fine Arts, A.A.  The degree provides a strong foundation in the visual arts and a broad background in general education. As a transfer-oriented course of study, it often leads to enrollment in an art school or other baccalaureate institution.

View the works of Jennifer Gulibe ’21 below, or click to view MacKenzie Gaulin ’20 or Ian Thompson ’20.

Jennifer Guilbe ’21

Artist Statement

The reason why I am an artist is ever since I was little, I have admired the animation style of various cartoon shows and Japanese anime. I have always been inspired by the works of Studio Ghibli and other companies like Aniplex and Shonen Jump. Along the way as I was growing up, I slowly became more inspired by other companies such as Nickelodeon Movies, Disney, and Pixar. Some of the movies that have inspired me the most have been “Maleficent,” “Rango,” and “Monsters Inc.”

What really drives me to do art is when I watch behind the scenes from different types of films or cartoon shows. Typically, I see the artist show the process of the story being made such as using storyboarding and implementing the color schemes that they try to use in the show. The process of it is wonderful because it is the beauty of creating something that is your own. It is the passion and excitement that you hear from these artists that are excited to make their work come to life. It’s the drama and curiousness of the stories and the relationships that the characters form and demonstrate with each other.  This drives me to be an artist and to strive to create something that I can call my own.

Art to me is all about emotion and meaning. I believe that art’s function and purpose in this world is to teach other people. Art can really teach you a lesson in almost anything in the world. Art is almost like a role model for people. My goal now as an artist is to be better, to better my work and to strengthen my art core, to be more imaginative, to be more creative, and to have more fun with my work because I believe that being more imaginative and having fun with your work is the key to success. In the future my goal is to become a part of the animation community to be an influencer to others that look at my work and to move them.

What I want others to understand about my artwork is how much heart and soul I put into them. I know that with each brush stroke or with each line that I draw all of it is with my whole heart. I often meditate on my work the night before I even put something on paper. I always imagine what it would look like. I always meditate on what colors I would use and how I will display the composition of it. Lately, I have been using a lot of pastel chalk in my work and exploring how to blend the colors, so they read clearly on paper.

Recently I did a sunset piece using pastel chalk on paper with the suggestion of some city buildings and a girl sitting on a railing admiring the view. The process of this drawing was a bit complicated, it had to have a smooth gradient fading from a dark blue to a very light yellow. I really enjoyed making this piece because it is something that I look at every day. The sunset is beautiful and has always inspired me. My drawing was successful I believe because of my passion for it.  I have gotten more positive feedback and positive comments on it than on any of my art in the past, so I believe that this has been my most successful piece.

You could say I used the Earth’s art to recreate something that I love to look at. When I look back on all my art pieces, I remember that my inspirations derive from the animations and cartoons that I have grown up with. It is exciting to see where my art will take me in the future.

Photo of Exhibition

Work