A sketch in time: an exclusive look into the artwork of Greer Hardy

0
682
Courtesy of Greer Hardy

Lights, colors, sounds and textures; descriptions such as these are often used to refer to various forms of art. Art can be an object, a narrative, a life’s work or even a major of study. This week, I had the pleasure to ask a graduating Art major at Muhlenberg, Greer Hardy ‘18, some questions. What does it mean to be an art major on this campus? What sort of requirements are needed to graduate? Such questions and more are answered brilliantly by Hardy below.

 

  1. Who are you?

 

My name is Greer Hardy. I’m currently a senior with a double major in Art Studio and Media & Communications. My concentration for Studio Art is drawing. I’ve always loved drawing and have taken drawing classes for the past eight years of my life. There’s something very therapeutic for me when it comes to drawing. I chose it as my concentration because it was something I knew I was good at but still was seeking to learn [about] and improve.

 

  1. What kinds of art do you like to create? Why?

 

I am strictly into physical media compared to digital media. I love drawing portraiture and the human body. Drawing people is definitely my strongest suit but I love painting as well as working with color. I have a few paintings that focus on color blending, which is really fun to do and often very challenging. My favorite is here with me at school on a wood panel I found during the reconstruction of my kitchen last winter. Right now I’m working on a series of several six-foot-tall pieces featuring mixed media (charcoal, ink, and pastels). I work with line a lot in my artwork and like to build on layers of different media such as charcoal, paint, etc.

Courtesy of Greer Hardy

 

  1.  What does being a Studio Art Major mean at Muhlenberg?

 

To me, being an art major was never out of the question. I wanted a school that could offer me the opportunity to double major in art as well as another discipline. When I started at Muhlenberg, I bounced around from history to psych, finally landing on Media & Communication as a second major. Art always stayed constant for me compared to other disciplines. There aren’t many Studio Art majors here so I am proud to be part of such a small department. Last semester in my Media & Communication CUE I had the opportunity to start the Muhlenberg Art Instagram (@muhlenbergart), which has received a lot of positive feedback. I update it constantly to inform students about shows and gallery talks. I wanted to leave my mark on the Art department somehow and this was the way I chose to do so.

 

Art has been a huge part of my life since I was a child and I wanted to be able to study it in college. I come from a big family of artists and musicians so my immediate family was always very supportive of my desire to study art.

 

  1.  Do you have a particular piece or memory of making a piece that you would like to share?

 

There was a piece I made my freshman year in my dorm one weekend night that had been an idea in the back of my head for a while. It was mixed media with ink and acrylic paint. This was my first experiment with mixed media and using color and line and actually inspired my current work. I remember feeling elated after working on it because it was always an idea of mine. It’s currently hung up in my house in Connecticut.

 

  1.  Would you like to leave some advice or suggestions for future Studio Art Majors/Minors?

 

Never give up. I know that’s corny but the moment you stop creating and working on your art is the moment you stop being in touch with your artist self. Everyone has those days/weeks/months where it seems impossible to create anything new and you lose your drive, but those are the days/weeks/months where you need to focus on pushing through this period. It was during that period that I found the idea for my newest series that will be displayed in the Martin Art Gallery. I know from experience that it’s not always easy to push through, but it can be done. Every artist goes through this; even though I know what I’m doing with my latest series it can get hard to make the next step. It’s always a risk. But you can’t be afraid of these risks because they are what’s going to get you out of your bubble.

 

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here