Artist Statement
My passion for design has been inside me for as long as I can remember. From painting to photography, to graphic design, it constantly keeps the creative wheels turning. Art has influenced my path to graphic design. In the past few years I have ben inspired from what I have learned in art history to help mold the artist I am today. Picasso, Monet, Warhol, Bansky, and others have made me rethink my own style for graphic design. My early work in graphics was derivative; it looked like a page out of the adobe illustrator how-to book. Discovering these artists, researching their passion and their work has helped me to create work that thinks outside the box. I believe my work expressed me as a person, outgoing, fun, loud, and not afraid to mix things up a bit.
When I first came to Salisbury University I was majoring in Early Childhood Education, with a minor in creative arts. In two years it became very clear that my passion was not with children; it was with art. Switching my major to graphic design was one of the best decisions I have ever made. The growth that I have achieved while in the art program still amazes me. I want to shock my audience with my designs. I like to throw a wrench into the mix. One way I do this, is by color. I love bright, vibrant colors that mess with your eyes. From a cow with cheese coming out of its nose to a colorful logo design, I want the wow factor.
I put so much research and work into what I am creating. If a piece doesn’t bring a smile to my face by the time I am finished, I scrap it. Using Illustrator, Photoshop, and Photography I try to express what I am passionate about, and believe that comes through my finished project.
Kelsey Hess
B.F.A. Graphic Design
