Painting a Bright Future

Junior Amanda Alves has been producing dazzling paintings and drawings for nearly a decade -- improving her craft each time she strikes a brush to canvas.  Alves is a BFA studio art major, with a concentration in 2-dimensional design. She has loved art since grade school, and "always knew that she would study the subject as a college student".  Art has enabled Alves to "express emotions in an abstract way."

Though she has a profound respect for poetry, Alves prefers painting or drawing to composing written text. Initially she sketches -- turning her abstract idea into an image that all can appreciate.  Once the sketch is complete, Alves grabs her muse and begins to add color and depth to the image -- creating an acrylic masterpiece. "Oil paints dry slowly; conveying a more accurate and realistic style. However, I prefer acrylic paint because it dries faster; adding a stylistic, organic, element that oil paint cannot," stated Alves.  She furthers: "the eye always sees realistic images; but the mind doesn't always process them. I'd prefer creating more abstract, emotional, pieces that each viewer can interpret in his or her own way."

In addition to studying at Kean, Alves is also employed by the university. She works in the general education department; guiding freshmen and transfer students through their transition to Kean. Alves states: "I love my job! It lets me serve as a non-professor mentor -- people are honest with me -- and they're more open with me because I'm a student like them."

Though Alves enjoys her employment, she is an aspiring art teacher. Moreover, she hopes that one day her art will be displayed in a gallery -- allowing the paintings to "scream in a way that she cannot."  She hopes that her art will immortalize her forever; the way that her favorite artist George Segal has been immortalized. Segal, an inspirational figure to Alves, casts life-sized plaster models of his figures. Though Segal is not a 2-dimmensional artist, his knack for "capturing individuals' expressions" has lead Alves to following his career.

In addition to Segal, Alves admires Johann Jochnowitz, a Kean University art professor who has taken her under his wing. Jochnowitz is mentoring Alves' next art gallery. "He is knowledgeable, helpful, sarcastic, and just an all-around great person," states Alves. Though Alves specializes in painting skulls and detailed eyes, she is uncertain about the topic of her next gallery.

When Alves is not perfecting her craft, within the Vaughn Eames building, she enjoys "spending time with her friends and family, and just being a regular college student." However, a good portion of her free time is dedicated to creating masterpieces; for Alves, "art is the best stress reliever."