Leeanna Alaniz
Artist Statement
I started creating art in the first grade. The task of writing daily journals in my composition books and illustrating them with whichever memory I wanted to was total freedom, which I loved. I became a sketcher throughout elementary, middle school and high school, expressing myself through lead still life’s and colored pencil portraits. Once in college, I knew deep inside that I was happiest when I was creating art, and I was good at it. I could draw objects from memory and my life drawings were pleasantly realistic. Since I enjoyed creating so much, I took many studio art courses which included sculpture, drawing, painting, printmaking, ceramics, art history, the list goes on. After two years of art school, I wanted to do more with my creativity than copy photos by hand. I wanted to learn how to use technology to create art. Tech skills were more in demand than traditional art was. I wanted to help business expand and market themselves a quicker way and, to be honest, mixing colors was a lot easier on a computer than on a palette with real paint. I realized that a graphic designer could design a better life for society so, I decided to became one. In the years attending university I discovered how wasteful society is. Yes, there were recycle bins on campus, but they were usually ignored and empty and the trash cans overflowed. I believe if we can design a world where recycling is urgent and a strive for zero waste are sensationalized, we will prolong our lives and others. There are three important things about my work. My work should spread the idea of recycling. My work should be ergonomic. My work should be functional. My work should strive to subtract the waste on our planet. My design process begins with mindful thinking, creating with the end life of the product in mind. This mindful consumption philosophy is not solely mine. I hope to spread this idea throughout society. I rely on what I learned from my professors in college when I begin a project. I look for unique ways to design a common product on my own by studying the natural surroundings where the product will live I like to utilize research through books, the internet and history to give a meaning and accuracy to my work. With a mindful consumption educated society, we could continue to coexist with nature for decades to come.
