How one student paints her identity into her work
There is something about a painting that helps the viewer understand the artist in one way or another. Paintings, sketches or photographs have the ability to tell an entire story in one frame, which, unlike novels or short stories, can be impactful in many ways.
For junior art education major, Edie Estes, art is more than a hobby or a talent, it is about showing the colors of one’s soul and putting it on display for the whole world to see.
“Majority of my recent work revolves around identity and what experiences have shaped who I am today,” Estes expressed. “Because of that, I think my artwork is more of a reminder to myself to embrace all of the experiences and change that comes my way, and hopefully that idea comes through to my audience as well.” 
Estes has been immersed in art for majority of her life, taking all of her experiences and putting them to brush and canvas. Though enjoying every aspect of art, Estes has found her passion in sketching faces and everyday objects, taking a more realism route than many artists.
When asked about her more recent passions and how her joys in her craft have evolved, she answered with a grin, “Right now I really enjoy experimenting with mixed media and layering different textures and patterns.”
Estes has presented multiple pieces for the world to see including her 2016 pieces called “Enclosure,” and “Hive Mind,” as well as her 20174 piece entitled “Eventually.” Each of her pieces show a bit of her personality and experiences that Estes has gone through in her life in the past or more recent. 
The paintings, canvases and sketches are like a writer’s journal. At the end of a stressful or memorable day, an artist can sit down and paint their experiences whether if by colors or an object.
Much like any other form of art whether it is writing, music, acting or dancing, art is an outlet to pour individual souls into, leaving pits of themselves in every brushstroke.
“I agree wholeheartedly that an artist leaves their soul and parts of themselves in their work,” Estes projected. “Because my work is so personal, I have to make myself vulnerable enough to feel comfortable portraying the emotions and experiences that inspire the work I do.”
For Estes, she has a heart to continue moving people through her own painting, but her passion has been to teach others about how to do the same or to solidify their own craft, finding their feet in the art.
It is this reason that she chose to major in art education, continuing her own craft for a living while molding pupils and aiding them in their own.
