Ivy Hall Revisited

The Watercolor for Illustration class has finished their pieces depicting the work being done on Ivy Hall, SCAD's newest restoration project in Atlanta. Here are the paintings, all of which will be presented to Bob Dickensheets who will choose which one (or ones) will be on display at the Grand Opening on October 3rd.


Kat Cimino


Duygu Colak


Alan Hawley


Sarah Pettis


Celia Phillips


Tanya Rodes-Colee


Jill Rycerz


Fernando Vazquez


Mary Wall

Student Spotlight: Goñi Montes

Starting today and on a recurring basis, outstanding students in SCAD-Atlanta's Illustration Department will be chosen by the faculty and "shown off" to the world in this newly established Student Spotlight. Recipients will be asked a few questions to let everyone know a bit about them, and of course several pieces of their amazing artwork will be shown.

And to start off what we think will be a great way to celebrate the excellence of our growing, award-winning department, we are very proud to present the inaugural recipient in the Student Spotlight- Illustration MFA Candidate Goñi Montes.



1. Where are you from?
Ponce, Puerto Rico



2. Where have you been to school (and if grad student what kind of degree did you receive)?
I obtained a B.A. from University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus, better known as Colegio de Mayagüez. I've honestly never been very clear on what exactly that B.A. is.



3. What attracted you to Illustration?
I've always liked creating, but have always lacked an affection towards a life in galleries, museums and (dealing with) curators. I have absolutely nothing against it, I just have no clue what doors to knock on.



4. Who are your biggest influences?
From older days, Alphons Mucha, Egon Schiele & Gustav Klimt
From Puerto Rico, printmaking masters Lorenzo Homar and José Alicea
Contemporary illustrators Sam Weber, Joshua Middleton, Jillian Tamaki & Tomer Hanuka

5. If you weren’t studying illustration at SCAD, what would you likely be doing?
Probably still in Puerto Rico doing scientific and technical illustration.



6. If you could change or re-do one thing about your experience at SCAD, what would it be?
The only thing I regret about my first few quarters in SCAD is my early indisposition towards listening. It took a couple of crashes here and there to find out that I had no clue what I was doing. Once that bridge was crossed, things got smoother and my portfolio grew all thanks to a superior and patient guidance.



7. What do you like to do in your spare time?
It feels like life IS spare time. Lately, there's been a lot of drawing and painting and a lot of nothing much else. When you find something you love working on, it feels like you're never working. However, I've become exceedingly fond of audiobooks. They don't require attention from your motor skills and make up for no time to read. Handheld video games also make train commutes much smoother.



8. What is something that most people don’t know about you?
The belly button of my very long hispanic name is Alberto. I almost finished a B.S. in Industrial Microbiology and under strict advice not to do so, changed to art at the last minute. I also came in a set of two, but someone bought one and now I'm up for bids as an incomplete series.

9. What would your dream job/client be and why?
Any client who does not start a project with the comment "Can you do something like so and so?".



10. Sum up your personal philosophy in 25 words or less.
I genuinely and infuriatingly neither know nor understand a single thing about this world.