Art had been merely a side hobby for communication arts major Allison Smith. During her sophomore year of high school, she had to choose whether she wanted to focus on art, or gain a spot on the varsity basketball team.
Smith quit the basketball team and dedicated herself to improving her artwork.
Smith’s father, Mike, said the basketball coaches tried talking his daughter out of quitting.
“She had her mind set,” her father said. “We realized how passionate she was about art.”
Smith said junior year of high school was a defining moment. She recalled asking herself ‘Is this what I want to do for the rest of my life?’
“Art had always been a side passion,” Smith said. “I decided to make it my priority, and since then, it has been my biggest passion.”
Smith soon started practicing skills on Adobe Photoshop and asked for a digital drawing tablet as a Christmas gift.
Sue Smith, Allison’s mother, can remember how excited her daughter was when she received the digital tablet.
“She was obsessed with it,” her mother said. “She continued to practice and try to make herself better.”
Smith said dedication proved to her parents how serious she was about pursuing art as a career.
“My parents weren’t all that into it. They tried to be, but I think it had to take some showing them how I’ve improved and how good I can be,” Smith said. “They really did support me when they saw (and said), ‘Oh you are good.'”
Communication arts major Mary Carter said Smith’s art shows persistence.
“She’s always drawing or scribbling something down in her sketchbook,” Carter said. “She has a great eye for expression and a great sense of humor. You can tell she really enjoys what she draws.”
Since arriving at VCU, Smith has learned technical aspects of art that did not interest her before, such as anatomy. Smith does observational drawings daily and says this helps improve her cartoon drawing skills.
“I see people that do silly cartoons but I can see they don’t have that knowledge of how to draw an actual person from real life,” Smith said. “I like to think of having an advantage over that.”
Smith looks at all of her classmates as competition because once she gets out of college, she will have to compete with them to find a job.
“I just have to keep telling myself that I am not at my peak talent yet,” Smith said. “I have to feel like I keep improving on something so I can be better than the other person.”
Art is also a way for Smith to vent and get through the day.
“A lot of it is based on people I’ve known and what I’ve seen in my life and how people can be,” Smith said. “I like to look at the humorous side of things.”
Smith’s mother thinks her daughter’s sense of humor brings color to her art.
“The cartoon characters she draws have great expressions without even saying anything,” her mother said. “She’s able to evoke a feeling.”
Each week, the Spectrum Section selects a talented student from the School of the Arts (music, dance, theater and visual) and showcases his or her achievements both in and around the VCU community. Do you want your name and work in the CT? E-mail Spectrum@Commonwealthtimes.com for consideration.