Katie Dykstra
The first senior art show of the semester will begin Oct. 12 and run until Oct. 23. Entitled “RED,” it is a joint show between senior art majors Katie Dykstra, Kent Eisma and ’09 graduate Brenda Ream. The opening reception will be held Friday, Oct. 16, from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m.
The name “RED” is a combination of Ream, Eisma and Dykstra’s last names and was originally mentioned as a joke by Eisma.
“The only real word our initials formed was red,” Eisma said. “I thought it would be funny to name it that and then have no red on the show’s poster.” The name stuck, as did the idea of having a monochromatic poster.
Dykstra draws inspiration for her art from nature. “I’m a visual person,” Dykstra said. “I find nature to be a very beautiful thing. It’s God’s canvas and doing art is my way of showing appreciation for what he’s created.” Although nature is not represented directly in many of her pieces, she tries to incorporate it into most of her art.
Kent Eisma
Lately Dykstra has been drawn to photography. Among some of her favorite pieces are photographs she took while studying abroad in Sicily, Italy.
“It’s a really satisfying medium,” Dykstra said. “You can get what you want, but you can still manipulate it and it remains similar to what you’re trying to portray.”
Dykstra will be graduating in December and is still keeping her options open. She has considered going into photography, going abroad either for missions or just travel, or using her psychology minor by working with an organization such as ATLAS or Family Crisis Center. For now she plans on staying in the area.
Ream took advantage of the opportunity to prepare for the show during the summer instead of rushing to fit it into her senior year. Like Dykstra, Ream said she draws much inspiration from nature and the vibrant colors found in it. Among some of her favorite pieces are close-up photographs of different types of fruit and leaves.
Besides photography, Ream said she also enjoys painting. One of her favorite paintings is an abstract of autumn leaves. “I love the vibrant colors you see in autumn,” she said, “and I don’t think they’re really appreciated. I like looking at the things that are underappreciated.”
Ream is currently taking classes in graphic design at Western Iowa Tech Community College in Sioux City while searching for an internship in graphic design.
Eisma’s love of art began in high school when he began drawing Anime cartoons. With the guidance of teachers and friends, he began to branch out to other art forms.
Among his artwork in “RED” are photographs, pencil drawings and graphic design pieces. His favorites are some fake comic book covers he designed and plans to assemble into actual comic books for the show.
“Since I want to be a graphic novelist, it’s cool to create something that’s like a graphic novel,” Eisma said. “It will be neat to see that in physical form.”
Eisma identified stories as one thing that moves him to create art, “I get inspiration from stories, that’s why I like graphic novels. I get inspiration from movies or video games or any story that intrigues me.”
After graduating in December, Eisma hopes to teach English in Japan and one day would like to author and illustrate comics or graphic novels.
