Sam Houston State University senior art major Sydney Parks is one of Sam’s up and coming artists.
Parks has been drawing for a few years, but expanded last year to working with oil paints.
“I enjoy drawing and painting,” Parks said. “I love blending with charcoal, which is why I like oil painting particular. I’m mesmerized by the colors in oil paint.”
Even though Parks is new to painting, last semester she applied and received an arts scholarship to continue her pursuit.
In her future, Parks would like to like to work with children and continue her passion for art.
“Eventually I want to teach other people,” Parks said. “I want to make an after school program and teach art.”
Parks is inspired by a handful or artists and creatives, but none more so than Egon Schiele, an early exponent of Expressionism.
“His works are so simple, but it has so much complexity,” Parks said. “He works with distorted figures and his stuff is like twisted and grotesque and sexual.”
The style captivated Parks, and now she works with the same style in her sculpture and paintings.
“I am working with hands and figures, distorted figures with thick paint, surrealist stuff,” she said. “Everything’s elongated, it makes it a little uncomfortable. It’s a fascination of mine, working with hands, so elongating them help draw the eyes to the center of the piece.”
Parks’ process for creating changes depends on the project, but in general it begins with the vision.
“When I am starting a project for myself I usually think about what I want to make for the time and place I’m in with life,” Parks said.
Parks has one of the studio spaces SHSU has for students majoring in theatre art, and the pace is littered with visually intriguing projects that show her potential.
After finishing the art project, Parks said she feels content.
“I feel like I completed something outside of myself,” Parks said. “I feel like I contributed to the world we live in, creating instead of sucking everything up.”
Sydney is one of SHSU’s many art students who have amazing potential, but she doesn’t think art is just something for artists. She offered the following advice for anyone interested in creating.
“I think it’s important to figure out what’s important to you,” Parks said. “Then open your mind to it, dream about the thing and have some visions for what you want to create.”