Blake's ART 289

• Chapter 04
• Chapter 05
• Chapter 06
• Chapter 07
• Chapter 11
• Chapter 12
• Chapter 13
• Chapter 15

About Me

Hi! I'm Blake. I am a 30-something continuing education student.
What started as me just taking a few classes to help build my portfolio turned into powering through an entire certificate program. My formal education is a BA in oil painting from the University of Illinois. I was extremely fortunate in snagging a scholarship with my portfolio, but with that came a lot of limitations. I missed out in the exploratory phase and always wonder if I would have done things differently had I had that opportunity.

After graduating I became a welder. I was also hired as the creative director/ scenic painter at my local theater.
After working a few years post graduation my husband and I decided to pick up and move to Oregon.
I traded in welding for bartending and quickly found volunteer work at OCT before covid put the world on pause. This was a pivotal moment for me as an artist.

With my creative outlet gone indefinitely I quickly filled the void with the most accessible medium I had- an Ipad with procreate. Over the course of 3 years I was able to work digitally with confidence and ease (kind of). Now I do graphic design (lightly), bartend, and run a creative vending machine business.

Looking ahead, I aim to expand my digital work into more interactive and experiential forms, particularly through web-based platforms and software-driven design. I am especially interested in the UX/UI field, as it aligns with my interest in problem-solving, user experience, and visual communication. At the same time, I remain open to exploring adjacent career paths that balance creativity with sustainability.

My inspirations come from late 80s early 90s aesthetics- Peewee’s Playhouse, Gary Painter, 90s video game ads, low poly grit graphics, grunge. I think I present myself like the personification of the prize chest you get to pick something out of after you finish your appointment at the dentist.