Norwalk Community College

Spotlight

Valeska Dudley, Studio Arts, 2011

Saville Tribute, charcoal, 19" x 24"

Only as I matured, I realized before I am an artist, I am but a simple viewer with a keen talent to observe the world around me differently and in great detail.

I sometimes think I create art in hopes to escape everything that is real and common with the world, by doing so I can seek imagination and originality triumphantly in my own likeness. Every time I show my work to someone, it feels like I’ve opened a back door into my mind for someone to see, it is a delicate intimate feeling. Feedback is a powerful force that undoubtedly gives me great encouragement and motivation.

I was born 23 weeks premature with a front seat to serious illnesses; I was a miracle child that had grown up to be person left with an imprint of medical fascinations and unanswered questions. The essence of my artwork circles the miracle of the body and mind aligned with my own history and the lives of others.

Portraiture and figure drawing have been my day to day basics; I collect gestures and faces on my sketchbook rapidly when I am on the bus or formally in an easel watching a model. Either way there is an inviting story on every face I encounter, especially if I manage to go unnoticed when I capture them, avoiding the deer-in-the-headlights with a genuine posture.

I also like surreal imagery; I express this vision constantly in collages, dream interpretations and sometimes gruesome imagery, all in hopes to understand limitless options. I’m also avid with cameras, and computer software which are great tools to traditional art.

There is no greater joy for me to be among those that appreciate art, which is why I am thankful of every moment with the faculty at Norwalk Community College. They had always offered a sincere opinion of my work and that of other classmates. Without a question, my time at NCC has been an exceptional learning experience that had helped me grow as an artist as well as a person.