Simplicity Bases Boswell's Art Show

March 8, 2012

Marissa Boswell consistently finds joy in simplicity and reminiscence. Her senior art show at OBU, appropriately named "Simplify," reflected the nostalgic style within her work. Boswell's show opened Feb. 24 in the OBU Art Building gallery.

An art major with a minor in psychology, Boswell said she derives her motivation from the joy she feels while producing art.

"I love the trial and error period, and seeing a work of art start from nothing," she said.

To Boswell, the theme "Simplify" is reminiscent of her everyday life and the ways she produced artwork, working often from memories and images.

"When you think back to your favorite memories, you don't remember details," Boswell explained. "You remember the important parts -- the simplified version."

During her time at OBU, Boswell has experimented with many new art mediums and methods. She said she enjoys emphasizing relationships within images and changing elements within each piece, such as using stronger color contrast, cropping or more emphasis in certain areas. The theme of relationships is especially accentuated in her favorite piece, titled "3 o'clock coffee."

"My family has always lived away from one another, so [we] travel long distances to see one another," Boswell said. "A tradition in my family is to sit down after a long day of travel and enjoy a hot cup of coffee, typically around 3. That tends to be the time we arrive when we travel -- mid-day. This piece is special to me because my great-grandmother passed away last year, and I could not stop drawing coffee."

Boswell's family and friends have been her greatest support, she said. Her education at OBU has also encouraged her to "think outside of the box" and to "constantly be creating." She praised her professors, thankful for their encouragement and appreciative of their critiques.

Boswell is from Bossier City, La. Following her graduation, she plans to either further her education in art therapy or work in an art museum.