“Art is my favorite thing to do, it gives me a sense of happiness and meaning. Being able to create something is the best feeling ever,” Carmel born and Reno raised Maggie Pollock says.
The 20-year-old, who is graduating soon with a Bachelors in art and a minor in art history at the University of Nevada, Reno wants “to be able to have a job that includes my passion for art.”
She next wants to complete a masters in art conservation as part of her goals of always working in art. In terms of her own painting style, Pollock focuses on realism and impressionism.
One of her techniques is glazing with a thin transparent or semi-transparent layer on a painting which modifies the appearance of the underlying paint layer.
Pollock knew she wanted to be an artist from when she was a child. She loved to draw, paint and overall just be creative. “I owe my start of my career to my friend who passed, I would watch her and I knew I wanted to do that,” she says.
As part of her studies, Pollock has gotten to study abroad in Torino, Italy, where she is practicing oil painting and illustrative art, “learning traditional oil techniques and portraiture.” There, she got to explore Torino’s museums, churches and walk around the city gathering inspiration for future paintings.
The Museum of Oriental Art in Torino has been her favorite spot with its large collection of Asian art.
Pollock returns to Reno, December 18th, when she will continue practicing her art by painting everyday and looking for an internship to further her career.
Reporting by Grace Kaplan shared with Our Town Reno