Hortencia Montemayor
Artist Statement
For as long as I can remember, I have lived through life with a simple philosophy: the actions I make today determine where I will stand tomorrow. I know it sounds exaggerated in the sense that something as simple as a choice of coffee can derail the course of events in my life, but in a way, it just makes sense. I know that everything I have experienced thus far has led me to where I am right now, and where I am at the moment is a place of self-realization as an artist and a graphic designer. I have applied myself to the world of graphic design and by doing so, I have learned about art, business, psychology, sociology, and so much more. I have spent the past 4 years of my life unknowingly studying various fields and learning how to put all of it into a single artboard. 4 years, however, cannot teach me everything I need to know.
My relationship with graphic design has been a rocky one from the start. I never really found my niche, and as much as I tried, I couldn’t figure out how to find my place in this competitive world. Being able to experiment graphic design’s many branches such as illustration, advertising, UI/UX design, etc. has opened so many doors for me and I have come to find that what makes the happiest is illustration. I always did traditional illustrations with paper and pencil, but after combining it with Adobe Illustrator I saw the potential in those works. Although I do like illustrating, I like to always experiment with all the other fields as well because I believe it is important to keep an open mind to all branches of graphic design.
These past few months of my final semester in UTRGV have taught me a lot. It’s taught me how to be flexible and manage my time better, even though there were many times when I did fall behind. The important thing is, however, that I was able to finish it at my own pace. As I get ready to graduate, I understand that graphic design is something that keeps growing along with society, and because of this I know that I will never come to a stop. All the while, I know that everything I’m doing is for a reason because the decisions I make from this day forward will determine where I will stand 10 years from now.
