At university, I studied design, with a minor in both architecture and anthropology. I spent much of my free time working for Brockschmidt and Coleman, a notable New Orleans design firm, trying to figure out what I wanted my career path to be.
Shortly before graduation, I decided I wanted to travel the world. Graduate school could wait; I had three major priorities. Firstly, what was the world made of, who lived out there, what opportunities existed, and what was life like in different cultures, surrounded by different people. Secondly, who was I- what was I looking for, what type of designer did I want to be, and more importantly, what type of person did I want to be. And lastly, where did the second concern (me), fit into the great big first priority (the world). What did I want my future to look like, where did I want to study, work and create a life.
Since graduating in May, I have been to Greece, Argentina, Peru, South Korea, and now Singapore, learning bits and pieces about their design and culture.
But before all of that…
I was born in rural Louisiana and began my early years there with a wild sense of style and a growing love for painting.
My family eventually migrated west, and I spent most of my childhood in Utah. In middle school, my parents decided the best course of study was the world, and we spent several years in Europe, Mexico, and parts of South America. During these travels, with only my iPad mini at hand, I became heavily involved in digital illustration.
During high school, I dumped the violin for visual arts and took any class I could get my hands on: painting, ceramics, illustration, photography… you name it.
During COVID, with only online classes to keep me busy, I started creating custom illustrations and shipping them to clients weekly.
By senior year, I was beginning to see design as a possible avenue of study, leading me to apply to Tulane’s design program within their school of architecture.
Throughout my university experience, similar to high school, I took any art class I could. I’ve taken glass blowing, continued my ceramics wheel throwing, grew an interest in print making, and of course, continued painting and illustration on the side, for friends, school events and magazines and local businesses.