For NASH Honors Art student Jesse Shields, senior year has been a mere continuation of his lifelong artistic journey. And it runs in the family.
“I have been doing art for as long as I can remember,” Shields said. “My mom is a graphic designer, and she has always inspired me to make art.”
Shields’s young starting age has shaped his current preference for physical mediums, despite the growing popularity of digital art.
“It was just what I always did,” Shields explained. “When I was young, I didn’t have much access to digital art, so I just stuck with physical art.”
Shields’s work uniquely spans over dozens of mediums. Some are brought to life by vibrant streams of color, while others take shape in the form of meticulously shaded grayscale. He chooses no favorites. From completing bright, graffiti-esque sketches to carefully painting hats to spending hours on a charcoal still life, he refuses to stop exploring different mediums in the pursuit of one specific style.
“I don’t really have my own style, because there are so many different styles that interest me,” Shields stated.
For his next artistic venture, Shields hopes to take a brief step away from his markers and charcoal pencils.
“I would like to improve in painting,” Shields explained. “I have always worked in many different mediums, but I have not had too much experience with it.”
Like so many groundbreaking artists before him, Shields finds inspiration in the simple, everyday life surrounding him. Nothing has to be extraordinarily grand to stand out to his artistic sensibilities.
“I usually [just] draw inspiration from the things I see around me,” Shields stated.
While all of his art is physical, digital media still influences his creative direction.
“Whenever I am stuck, I commonly look to the internet for artistic inspiration,” he explained.
While his high school career is ending, Shields has no intention of letting his artistic career end with it.
“I would like to, and I plan to, continue making art outside of high school,” he said.
He intends to continue exploring mediums throughout college, even though, at this time, he cannot see art becoming a full-time profession.
