Maria Bueno, a junior at Arizona State University, won a $2,000 Fine Arts Scholarship from The Whitaker Foundation for Spring 2019. She is majoring in
In her student statement accompanying her application she wrote:
“I am an aspiring illustrator currently pursuing a Bachelor’s in Painting at Arizona State University. My philosophy is that art should be deeper than just illustrating the beauty of an object or scene; all art should have some depth and underlying meaning to it. That is why I focus primarily on illustration. In my personal opinion, many popular forms of art these days are kitsch and fleeting. In my future, I hope to aid journalists and writers in their visual communication. I enjoy working for other people and working with a variety of topics.
“My goal is to work as a freelance Illustrator in magazines, newspapers, and books. I worked as an illustrator in my high school magazine, XPRESS. I also helped select and contribute art to my high school anthology, Pierian Springs. As of right now, I work in a graphics position for State Press, ASU’s digital campus newspaper. I dedicate 8-10 hours every week for 2-4 header graphics that appear for the articles written by students. The topics that I interpret concern political events and opinions. Also, apart from my article graphics, the magazine has run two of my independent cartoons titled, “Historical Figures in College” and “Sparky Variation Challenge.”
“I have interest in Byzantine iconography, political cartooning, caricature, character design, concept art, jewelry making, forensic art, and art history.
“I look up to many historically significant artists including Gustave Dore, Edmund Dulac, Michelangelo, and John Singer Sargent. I admire Gustave Dore for his composition, beautiful technique, and storytelling application. My favorite Dore works are his etchings of Dante’s Divine Comedy. Like Dore, I also love Edmund Dulac for his composition, color, and storytelling. My favorite works of his are his illustrations of The Little Mermaid. I admire Michelangelo for his application of art to theology, rendering of the human figure, and philosophy of excellence in art. My favorite Michelangelo artwork is the Sistine Chapel where God gives life to Adam. I very much enjoy John Singer Sargent for his beautifully executed and composed portraits and landscapes. These artists are my ‘heroes.’
“When I chose to pursue art as my career path, my parents were not very happy. Art is not seen as a practical pursuit in my family. However, these artists have convinced me that art can be applied to theology and literature, educate people, and assist in the media.
“I hope to help my parents pay for my college tuition as I am one of their ten kids that they hope will graduate college and find a fulfilling career.
“A large portion of my independent body of work regards fairy tales and myths, stories of relationships, and parodies of historical figures. I have had one show at Stark Gallery in Phoenix and have also done chalk performance art for the City of Goodyear.
“By the end of my career, I hope to benefit society by inspiring my audience to see art as more than just an impractical indulgence.”
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