By Deandra Gonzalez
Artist Joseph Stone looks at canvas paintings by artist Shelly Delgado at “The Working Artist” show April 30 at Brick, located in the Blue Star Arts Complex. The interactive event featured local San Antonio creatives. Photo by Deandra Gonzalez 
Hairdresser Kimberly Southworth watches her daughter, multifaceted artist Zoey Parsons, blow glass on an open flame at “The Working Artist” show April 30 at Brick, located in the Blue Star Arts Complex. Parsons said she has been making heart-shaped sticks for her mother, who gifts them to family and friends. Photo by Deandra Gonzalez 
Artist Joseph Stone paints an eyeball on a 48-by-48 inch “Paint Me” canvas at “The Working Artist” show April 30 at Brick, located in the Blue Star Arts Complex. Some artists set paintbrushes, art markers and varying artistic tools to allow attendees to contribute to their artworks. Photo by Deandra Gonzalez 
Artist Shelly Delgado takes a break to look at her 56-by-56 inch painting before continuing her work at “The Working Artist” show April 30 at Brick, located in the Blue Star Arts Complex. After curating multipule vendor events, including “High On Love” and “2020 Vision,” Delgado said she is now spending more time working on her larger paintings. Photo by Deandra Gonzalez 
Artist Mauro de la Tierra paints on his untitled piece at “The Working Artist” show April 30 at Brick, located in the Blue Star Arts Complex. De la Tierra said his inspiration came from spending time in nature, having different religious experiences, and understanding life and death. Photo by Deandra Gonzalez 
Fashion Designer Gab Congrains works on a commissioned wedding portrait for a couple from McAllen at “The Working Artist” show April 30 at Brick, located in the Blue Star Arts Complex. Congrains has drawn characters in her unique style such as Cinderella, Jack and Sally, and Princess Leia. Photo by Deandra Gonzalez 
Artist Joseph Stone and other attendees paint on 48-by-48 inch “Paint Me” canvases, distributed by multifaceted artist Zoey Parsons, at “The Working Artist” show April 30 at Brick, located in the Blue Star Arts Complex. The event allowed attendees to observe artists at work, replicating the sensation of working in a studio in a public setting, creating an immersive experience. Many mediums like sewing, screen printing, painting, glass blowing, drawing, digital drawing, spray painting, and collage making were demonstrated at the show. Photo by Deandra Gonzalez 
Alexis Hunter, multidisciplinary artist and art senior at Texas State, observes one of her paintings, which is part of her Binary series for this semester, during a studio visit May 2 in her apartment. Hunter’s Binary series focuses on her biracial identity. She said she wanted to convey “not really fitting black and white culture and the embarrassment of that.” Photo by Deandra Gonzalez 
Multidisciplinary artist Alexis Hunter grabs paint to work on a commisoned piece for a client during a studio visit May 2 in her apartment. Hunter said it is convenient to have her paint and tools easily accessible. Photo by Deandra Gonzalez 
Multidisciplinary artist Alexis Hunter works on a commisoned piece for a client during a studio visit May 2 in her apartment. Hunter worked on the background, adding texture and a lighter green to make it “atmospheric,” she said. Photo by Deandra Gonzalez
For the art community, the pandemic has brought many new challenges. While some artists had positive inspirations, others felt the negative effects that changed their daily momentum.
Alexis Hunter, Texas State art senior, said at the beginning of the pandemic she felt cheated out of the hands-on experience of University. Transferring from Austin Community College in Fall 2019, Hunter was ready to experience life at Texas State. Once COVID-19 hit Hunter said she felt miserable and she felt cheated. “I just got use to the flow of Texas State,” Hunter said.
A daily routine for students included walking through campus, taking the bus, walking up the many stairs and sweating a lot once you got to class. After moving online and figuring out a home practice, Hunter said the most difficult thing was her hands-on classes. Zoom critiques for classes like ceramics and painting were not the same because online doesn’t show texture or much detail through a screen.
“I loved being on campus,” Hunter said. “There was a momentum everyone had.”
Although the change was hard to adapt, Hunter was able to figure out her artistic style at her own pace. For a painting assignment about identity, Hunter brought to light her insecurities of being biracial.
This semester she worked on a three-part series called “Binary,” which in each piece, conveys the feeling of not belonging to the Black or white culture. The painting has black and white mysterious figures, because both cultures feel mysterious to her. “I wanted to convey the feeling of unease, tension and embarrassment,” she said.
Other projects in the works for Hunter include paintings and drawing of plus size bodies, the exploration of bigger stomachs and squishy bodies. Hunter expects to graduate in May 2022.
Despite the hardships of the pandemic, artist Shelly Delgado says her pandemic experience was more positive than it was negative. She said she was inspired because of COVID-19 and that the experience of the pandemic had brought past ideas to life. Common themes in her work show human interaction, and the changes we had to endure as human beings.
During lockdown Delgado said she used the time to, “meditate, think about the world and use it in a positive way to inspire.”
Now that things are opening again, artists are hopeful for the future and are adapting to a new normal. Delgado has been curating art vendor events, like “High on Love” and “2020 Vison.” She stresses the importance of bringing the community back out again. Finding out what’s new and what will interest people now in a new normal setting.
Delgado says she’s seen new faces in the art community, new people who also got inspired and returning people who fell off in the scene. “I see people coming together after COVID-19, and are still going,” Delgado said.
Many people lost their jobs, finances and struggled to feed their family during the ongoing pandemic. In a time like this, supporting local artists and business is extremely important Delgado says. Even supporting someone in your neighborhood could be more helpful than supporting bigger business and malls.
“What about your community, the people down the street? They’re trying to make a living too.” Delgado said. “Everyone can support each other.”
After curating events, Delgado is going to take a break from creating small to creating much larger paintings. “My real love is in fine art, bigger work and being expressive,” she said. The canvas she painted on at “The Working Artist,” show was 56-by-56 inches.
Multifaceted artist Zoey Parson said COVID-19 was a blessing in disguise. She was able to explore new mediums in her art. Due to the heat of the summer in 2020 her usual mediums, spray painting and glass blowing, were too hot do outside so she picked up acrylic paints. “It’s blown up from there, it’s very freeing,” she said.
For the social butterfly, the pandemic made Parsons slow down and take life easy. Although she was restricted in some ways, she still was motivated to create.
“I wanted to show the world something still,” she said.
Parsons is also confident in the support of each artist the community, because it’s her main source of income after quitting bartending during the start of COVID-19. “I don’t work right now so if I’m not supported money wise, I can’t re-up on paints, can’t get more canvases and can’t create,” she said. “I’m not an artist in a sense anymore.” Little things such as positive words can be signs of the biggest support to keep a local creative going Parsons said.
