A Bobcat to Know: Passionate art student makes her way to fulfill dreams

Nov 4 2009 - 11:45pm | Brittany E. Wilson

When Chloé Yingst was four years old, she walked up to her mother and said, “Mom, I’m an artist.” Yingst is furthering her passion one art show at a time as a senior in college.

Yingst, double major in drawing and communication design, is a self-published author, honors student, active artist and a budding entrepreneur. Yingst wrote, illustrated and self-published a children’s book through Blurb.com for her honors program thesis.

“My story is about a fish party that gets out of control,” Yingst said. “The fish knock over the coral, and they make the water dirty by kicking up sand. The pages are done in watercolor.”

Yingst sold several books to friends. Writing the story was the hardest part for her,  but illustrating the graphics was “a blast.”

Yingst said art runs in her genes with an encouraging artistic mother who works with fibers. Yingst’s mother took her to classes at the Southwest School of Arts and Crafts in San Antonio.

Yingst said those classes helped train her eye, which is one of the most important exercises an artist can do. Drawing figures upside down helps train the brain to focus on shapes and lines instead of defining the images, she said. Another exercise Yingst uses is focusing on the negative spaces behind images.

Yingst said the art program at Texas State is a wonderful challenge.

“The nice thing about going to school as an art major is it’s a structured art practice,” Yingst said. “Teachers push you in different directions and get you outside of your comfort zone to learn other things about what you’re capable of doing.”

Yingst sells creations from her studio classes and others from completions in her spare time.

Some inspiration for Yingst comes from the Italy study abroad trip she took with the art department last summer.

“It was perfect,” Yingst said. “The birth of art is there. To go see it and hear it from somebody who knows what they are talking about was wonderful.”

Tantra Coffeehouse will be hosting Yingst’s next art show at 9 p.m., Nov. 13.

“This time I’ve been really pushing it and telling everyone, and I’m expecting a really big turn out,” Yingst said. “I’m really excited about it.”

Yingst showcases her art portfolio on a personal Web site. Visit www.chloejane.carbonmade.com for more information.

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