In this installment of AMA-UTA CreateCollab, Michaela Hightower explores artistic inspiration in her original photo essay, A Walk Through A Stunning Indie Artist’s Inspiration.
Read more about our CreateCollab partnership below.
A WALK THROUGH A STUNNING INDIE ARTIST’S INSPIRATIONS
ABOUT MY PHOTO ESSAY
by Michaela Hightower
Some of my favorite things about the Arlington Museum of Art is its history and dedication to supporting artists and being inclusive. It is inspiring to me as someone growing up into an artist. A Walk Through A Stunning Indie Artist’s Inspiration tells the story of a local artist Julius Gray which takes the viewers into his process of creating paintings inspired by artists he admires. It connects to the museum’s ideals of being inclusive and supporting artists by showcasing a talented painter’s intricate process and motivations. Any artist knows the time and effort that goes into painting a piece of work. This story highlights the skills and passion Julius brings to his work that other artists can connect with.
Julius’s process involves finding inspiration, planning, outlining, and painting. He has to decide on an artist that brings him joy and fills him with creativity. Recently this has mainly been focused on his favorite musical artists and athletes, such as Kobe Bryant and Tyler the Creator (both depicted in the photo essay), as well as his current piece that he is creating that features Harry Styles. Once he figures out who he will paint, the next step is planning what the painting will look like. Each of his paintings has its spin on who he is painting and his signature logo from his business (Feel Brand Co.) placed in the background. Actually creating his pieces can take months depending on the color schemes and canvas used, but ultimately the end result is something extraordinary. Since each painting is so detailed he does not like to work on multiple paintings at a time. This allows him to put forth all of his energy and creativity into the one project. A Walk Through A Stunning Indie Artist’s Inspirations pulls you into the the originality and craftsmanship of Julius’s artwork.
Meet Michaela Hightower
After spending all of her high school career writing short stories that landed her some attention online, Michaela Hightower got an offer from several agents to help publish her debut novel Between Us, It’s Hard. A DFW local, she attended Lake Ridge High School in Mansfield and now attends the University of Texas at Arlington, where she studies Journalism and Marketing. She enjoys reading non-fiction books, going to museums, and traveling.
About AMA-UTA CreateCollab
Throughout the Fall 2022 semester, the Arlington Museum of Art is partnering with The University of Texas at Arlington and a senior-level digital storytelling class to explore a wide variety of contemporary themes inspired by “A Knight’s Tale.”
Class projects include photo essays, one-minute documentaries, and one-minute podcasts about themes as broad as sword fighting with light sabers, fulfilling family legacies, every day heroes, and modern metalsmithing.
Associate Professor of Communication Erika Pribanic-Smith, who teaches the class, values opportunities to bring real-world experiences to her students.
“My goal is to give my students real-world experience in all of my classes, creating real stories using real sources,” said Dr. Pribanic-Smith. “Creating stories that will be published for the public to see, not just submitted for a grade, gives students extra incentive to put forth their best effort. Furthermore, working with professionals gives the students another layer of feedback to re-enforce what they’re learning in the classroom. I prefer to work with organizations like the Arlington Museum of Art who will benefit in some way from the students’ content so that we are providing a service to the community.”
