Amy Jan Ernst

Artist Statement: This piece embodies the spontaneity, craziness, and multi-faceted aspects of a family road trip. The abstract design takes the viewer on a journey, one with pauses, stops, or detours, and the various colors bring to life the feelings, personalities, and relationships that one may experience on an adventure. There are also different sized cups and bowls for each member, and it is up to the viewer's interpretation to decide who gets which bowl and cup. This road trip doesn't have to be a cliché of the "normal" nuclear family, but rather like the nature of the random designs, the cups and bowls can represent anyone or anything.

Bio: After graduating university last May in the midst of the pandemic, like many, I was at a loss of what to do. Thankfully I was able to take a year off to discover what I wanted to pursue in my life. During that time I reflected on my values and interests and remembered my passion for art. Through taking classes at Clark College, I am able to learn and push my creativity which was neglected for so long.

Samantha Hankins

Artist Statement: I am inspired by the beauty of life through the smallest mediocre yet intimate bits: morning light, workspaces, long commutes, and childhood memories. These small moments are what I aim to capture in my work. Through them is when I feel most alive, grateful, and nostalgic. I do not limit myself to one medium, but allow emotion to drive my projects, whether through pencil, acrylics, clay, or wire.

Bio: Samantha Hankins is a Portland State University graduate shifting her career towards Art Education. Throughout her life, art in many forms has been at the core. Whether it is drawing, painting or dancing, creativity fuels her. Samantha is a self-taught artist who enjoys continually learning through the use of many mediums and other artists' experiences.

Vicki Hastay

Artist Statement: It seems I’m constantly looking for a new medium of art to explore like painting, textiles, plaster, scratch…I don’t even look at a cardboard box the same way anymore. My projects usually are of a natural theme rather than the abstract. For me, the main aspect of creating is that I feel good about what I am doing and that those who view my art as a positive experience.

Bio: Growing up in a home with 8 siblings, art was of no real importance. It wasn’t until I was much older that I discovered my inner artist. I feel like kid in a candy store, desiring to learn and experience various forms of art. Quite a switch from a career in special education and teaching landscape/floral designs.

Kimberly Hostetler

Artist Statement: I would have to say my art comes from a peace of my mind (yes, I said “peace” instead of “piece” purposefully). Working with clay is what calms me and having the ability to create something great with it is an added bonus.

Bio: I started working with clay in 2014 then took a break and realized out of all the mediums I have worked with clay is my favorite. I enjoy painting and generally creating something out of nothing, but working with clay truly speaks to me. I love forming it into something unique and new to me.

Madaleine Peterson

Artist Statement: This piece was inspired by an anthropomorphic piece from 5 B.C.E. I made this piece out of coils and used a sgraffito technique on the middle surface. The original piece held the same shape, but was about 5 inches tall with a face and arms attached. I measured the dimensions of the original and constructed mine to be about a foot tall.

Bio: Grew up in the PNW region and aspire to be a forest ranger. Pottery is my main artistic outlet and an easy way for me to find a state of flow. I enjoy hand-building mostly, as I enjoy working slowly and becoming one with the clay. I think that pottery is the closest form of art to nature, as it is basically nifty-dirt. If I could one day work with clay, nature and people; I would feel bliss in my career.

Kyle Pettyjohn

Artist Statement: Art, for me, has been a creative outlet and a way to connect and explore. I've always been overly analytical and art has allowed me to expose my creative side and break away from my analytical side. Through art, I continue to learn about the endless possibilities that exist within one's creative self.

Bio: I'm 25 years old and still very much in the experimental stages of creating art. I love not considering myself as an artist because I feel that it allows me to be fluid in my methods and perspective. Wherever my path takes me in life, I will be forever grateful for what art has opened my eyes to.

Emily Skinner

Artist Statement: I love parts of the human body that relate to the senses, specifically eyes and fingers. I think that they can be incredibly beautiful but have a wonderful ominous feeling when in places you wouldn't expect. Making a human element feel inhuman, making something known into unknown, gives so much room for creativity.

Bio: It's my goal in life to learn every art form I can, and eventually make a living off of it. Throughout my life, art has inspired me and helped me through very bad times, and I hope what I create can provide that for someone else too someday.

Robert Taylor

Artist Statement: I have long embraced the surrealist movement as a political and moral imperative. The process of self exploration involved in producing this work is as intense as one's Id. For this piece I explored my emotional state of depression and anxiety. The piece itself is a wire sculpture of lemonade in a toilet.

Bio: Robert Taylor hails from Las Vegas, NV. He has produced murals, paintings, and other various commissioned work for the better part of two decades. He most recently worked as an in-house marketing and graphic designer prior to enrolling at Clark College. He is currently working towards an Associate of Applied Technology in Digital Media Arts.