"Jakyah Acree's ART399 Portfolio"

Author/Artist Name

Jakyah AcreeFollow

Files

Academic Level at Time of Creation

Junior

Date of Creation

Spring 5-7-2025

Artist Statement

When viewing one of my artworks, one will usually see a painting, drawing, or digital work. The painting or drawing will be that of a portrait or a subject matter. The subject at times can learn toward realism, other times I like to create more animated styled characters.

While I’ve always had a passion for creating detailed value-filled portraits in realism, my journey began with the excitement of bringing art to life with illustration.Growing up in a small town of Cadiz KY, there was very little excitement. Not only that, but I was a girl of few words, finding it hard to express myself to others. Until I found my love for making art. Art became my expression, I find great joy in creating beautiful characters or portraits that exclude both depth and emotion. After losing my mother in my early college years, I learned that I have an infatuation with being a character artist. In my formative years I’ve always loved the endless creativity of illustration and it has since then evolved into a boundless exploration of my nostalgic imagination. I yearn to rekindle the childlike sense of wonder within my audience. Taking inspiration from color and expression like that of Takashi Murakami and Karen Kilimnik. Creating these original characters allows me to storytell which I enjoy. It reminds me of my childhood of watching a lot of cartoons and animations. Between telling a story or expressing an emotion, It all plays into the tone of the piece that I’m looking for.

While on my artistic journey trying to figure out what I truly enjoy, I came to the realization that I just wanna have fun. I want to enjoy what I do and for my art to speak to viewers as so. My dream would be to specialize in character design or become a doll designer. I really enjoy creating the subjects themselves, bringing my childhood memories and fantasies to life.

Advisor/Mentor

Mike Martin

Description

My art embraces a diverse range of mediums ranging from watercolor, acrylic, and oil, to digital art, constantly challenging myself to push the boundaries of artistic expression. With each brush stroke, color choice, and lineweight, I thrive to bring vibrant personalities to life, drawing inspiration from my vivid imagination and unwavering devotion to my craft. I like to work with more vibrant colors, whether it’s semi-realism or illustration. Detail is always an important element I incorporate into my work, I enjoy a sense of depth, layers, and reflective lighting. I’ve also been incorporating shape into my late work, using that as a form of unity to take the viewers eyes back to something.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Acree, Jakyah, ""Jakyah Acree's ART399 Portfolio"" (2025). Professional Practices (ART 399). 180.
https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/art399/180