| The Cow By Caitlyn Bardle
Sponsored by Hansen's Dairy
123 E 18th St,, Cedar Falls
Materials Used Caitlyn used a projector to help transfer her sketch to the TC, and painted in the design with acrylic paint.
The Design (in the Artist's words) "My initial inspiration for my design was the Iowa landscape. I went to school in Kansas City and my Husband and I have family in the St Louis area so we have spent a lot of time on the road driving though the Iowa countryside. From a design standpoint I thought it would be more interesting to make some elements larger and more stylized. I was just delighted when Hansen's Dairy contacted me and said they liked my design but wondered if I would be willing to change it a little to reflect what they do. We worked together to come up with the final concept, which has even more charm and personality than my original idea."
About the Artist Caitlyn, a Waterloo, Iowa native, discovered her passion for art at West High School, where she took her first art classes. Following her graduation, she pursued her artistic endeavors at the Kansas City Art Institute, earning a BFA with a focus on animation and drawing. After completing her studies, Caitlyn returned to Iowa and began her career at VanDoren's Custom Picture Framing, while also delving into various freelance art projects. Her artistic journey has been marked by a love for exploring new mediums, with a recent focus on painting and ceramic work. Despite typically working on a smaller scale, Caitlyn was intrigued by the challenge of creating a mascot for Panthers on Parade. She saw it as an exciting opportunity to participate in a community art project and contribute her talents to her local area. Despite not being a UNI alum herself, Caitlyn has numerous connections to the university. Growing up in the vicinity, she has family, friends, and neighbors who are UNI alums. Through her work at VanDoren's Custom Picture Framing, Caitlyn has had the chance to contribute to UNI's art initiatives by assisting with framing for the UNI Art Gallery and campus displays. When asked if she had a connection to the sponsor for this TC, she said "We have become big Hansen's Dairy fans through the years. We enjoy taking the farm tour whenever family visits and usually get our milk and ice cream from the local Waterloo store. (My favorite ice cream flavor is Butter Pecan.) I was so excited that we could work together for this project!" Caitlyn is open to receiving requests for projects and can be reached at: Website: https://paperneverplain.com/ Instagram: @paperneverplain |