Artist's Spotlight: Victoria Greenwood
The words energetically intriguing, dark, and sensitive are just a quietly fragmented internal part of a very stimulating, outwardly normal girl such as, Santa Monica College student, Victoria Greenwood, 20, whose artistic residue whispers intrigue amongst its admirers. The bloody dance of Hello Kitty's wrapped in bedazzled vintage jewels just adds a lovely dimension to the "at a glance" cheerleader type. "It's more fun to be interesting then boring," says Greenwood, who is currently intertwined with our theater department. She has used her wonderful drawing skills for the betterment of Bugs Bunny, the White Rabbit, and even her own likeness.
Her stimulating childhood story, of being a fly-on-the-wall during one of the most important musical movements of our history (the metal-head and hair band era), has lent itself to the desire of being a quiet observer with morals and lots to say; even her maturity is beyond years, and so is her approach to art.
Her expressions - charcoals, watercolors, pens, and paper (not forgetting her vintage influences) usually - does the talking for her showing her desire to give back to her admirers. It is a talent and discipline she discovered young in life. Heavily inspired by her older brother, she chooses to concentrate on her passion rather than get into the mischievousness of a less motivated young adult.
She strongly enjoys having multi-medium capabilities on canvas, though she shies away from oils and even indulges in some collage techniques. Apparently there's a slight issue at hand of impatience when dealing with oils, which she insisted under a giggle, is being worked through. The idea of learning the ins and outs of conformed art techniques creates more of a claustrophobic feeling within and allows for a distaste of proper art education. Perhaps that's just the right temperature of rebelliousness.
Her influences lie strongly with the esoteric tastes of Edgar Allen Poe, Gris Grimly, and Tim Burton. Recreating her own inspiration to canvas from the outside observed and dueling with her own cryptic emotions, she looks to the likes of these and many others to delight herself.
While discussing her plans for the future of her art, she spoke of tackling the responsibilities of a possible Miss California in the up-and-coming Miss California Pageant 2011 through her art. While so many other girls would be worrying about what vulgar over-priced dresses to wear in front of the judges, Greenwood expresses a strong desire to want to make a change with paint strokes, if need be, if she was to win the title.
The blond-haired, stylishly dressed Miss Encino spoke of the impact, through art, that she wants to have on all the younger children struggling for their own inner voices, "giving them a platform to express themselves". The concerns of deteriorating right-brain activities in general ed schools runs close to her heart. As she recalls her own high school experience, she sympathizes with the current dilemma of the budget cuts in the school system. Stating her gratitude at being able to discover her own inner prosaic at such a young age, she decided that she was going to make sure that others got the same opportunity.
With her keen sense of dry humor, enchanting smile, and a positive attitude mantra, "giving a 100% of myself", we wish her the best of luck the weekend of November 19 because she takes a piece of us, the students of SMC, with her towards making a difference through creativity and consciousness.