Painting: Selections

Nicholas Clark /  Megan Alexandra Fong Wilson / Juan Carlos Garcia Gonzalez / Samantha Garcia Ortiz / Madison Heagy / Jennifer Hicks / Jessica Peters / Charles West

Nicholas Clark

Artist Statement: I take the world around me and sloppily throw it onto canvas. Often working on a whim, I aim to create works that evoke emotion and feeling in all who view them, stronger than any blurb or explanation could provide.. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words, and I've still got plenty of paint left.

Bio: Born to an average family and living a life hardly worth noting, Nick always enjoyed creating things. Honing this desire more and more, he eventually found him with a finely sharpened tip aimed straight at the visual arts field, a field which he is still charging at to this day. Catching many unaware targets on his way, Nick's latest skirmish with the arts has been with painting, which he has come to enjoy greatly.

Megan Alexandra Fong Wilson

Artist Statement: I just recently started using oil paint and bigger canvases to create my ideas in a larger picture. When I paint I always make something that is a part of me because I can express my feelings of that certain thing either with anger or beauty. I’ve had a pretty crazy life, and when I paint, I like to paint the good times to remind myself that not all my life was bad.

Bio: Megan Fong Wilson was born and raised in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. She moved to the United States in 2016 where she lived in South Lake Tahoe CA, and in December of 2019 moved to Vancouver WA. Megan is pursuing a career as a First Responder and wishes to save as many lives as she can. In her free time, she likes to paint and spend time with her family. 

Juan Carlos Garcia Gonzalez

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 “Sammy” Garcia Ortiz

Artist Statement: I work to create a safe space within my art, which could be a comforting image or a way to express feelings and emotions I can't let out otherwise. For me, art is a very personal experience. I like to work with all kinds of media, though my current favorites are pastel and watercolor.

Bio: Sammy has been a life-long creative in many practices, now focusing on visual art. She hopes to continue learning and creating meaningful works throughout her time at Clark, and WSU in the spring. For Sammy, art is a powerful tool to heal and grow your heart and aims to spread that sentiment to others.

Madison Heagy

Artist Statement: I have practice and explored my art in the mediums of graphite, ink, acrylic, clay and more recently oil paints. I have recently found a love for oil painting and how generous this medium can be to an imperfect artist. The art projects that speak the most to me are ones that consider societal norms and standards, specifically around womanhood and queerness. I also really enjoy botanical art for the aesthetics and the organic shapes and designs.

Bio: Madison(she/her) is a 28-year-old nontraditional student from Tacoma, Washington. Besides enjoying making art, she enjoys spending time cuddling and relaxing with her puppy, 3 cats, and her wife. She anticipates to graduate from Clark College in fall quarter of 2022, and hopes to transfer to a university that will help her attain a degree in psychology and double major in women's studies, and work towards the goal of becoming a therapist. 

Jennifer Hicks

Artist Statement: Color and composition are two of the main concepts that inspire me to create- whether that is with watercolors, oils, pens, colored pencils, or creating digital art. I love playing with color palettes, texture, and pattern and how that corelates with composition, beauty and everyday irony. 

Bio: Jennie is Graphic Design major with a love for fine art, illustration and story telling. She hopes to one day be writing and illustrating children's books and designing patterns and illustrations that communicate joy, beauty, courage and hope to the world through a variety of mediums while acknowledging the most important medium one can speak through is how one chooses to live life!

Jessica Peters

Artist Statement: I am primarily a watercolor artist, I like to dabble in other media, but no matter what I'm creating I am trying to be understood. I'm communicating through my art and I might be saying "hey, I like daisies" or "we don't prosecute American war crimes" either way I want my messaging to be clear. 

Bio: Jessica Peters is a PNW based artist. Before moving to Vancouver she was an Arabic Linguist for the USAF and traveled all over the US. She has worked in a variety of fields including culinary and pastry which contributes to her creative drive. She continues to be inspired by her life, experiences, and color.

Charles West

Artist Statement: I enjoy using a variety of different mediums and materials, I especially enjoy mixing mediums. A lot of work I create is driven by emotion and passion, typically done in one session with often little planning beyond colors or mark making tools, both of which are subject to change as I work. Narratives and ideas for my work include my  thoughts and struggles with anxiety, depression, and addiction to list a few. Art is universal, with an ability to transcend words, and eliminate language barriers; and aspect I love.

Bio: A father to three, his children are his first priority and deepest love. Having grown up with an often cruel and negligent mother, and a father who always lived in another state, it became very important to him to try to give his children the opposite of what he received in his youth. Outside of artwork his time is typically spent playing and learning with and from his kids, hanging out with his dog, and of course attending to all the typical things that come along with running a household solo. Lastly, if you asked him he would say that submitting his work to the public is intimidating and that writing in the third person is awkward.