Speaker 1: 0:07

Welcome to the BubLounge. I'm Martha Jackson and sitting in for Nelly is Chloe Walsh. Today, chloe, i'm so excited for us to co-host our first episode together. No, me too, i can't wait. Well, today we're talking about how, in Highland Park, it's so common for the community to be so hyper-focused on the sports. I mean we really pride ourselves on our football team, our bells, the cheerleaders, baseball, lacrosse, basketball, i mean everything. It's so much attention. But something I feel like that doesn't get a lot of attention in our community is the more creative side of things.

Speaker 2: 0:39

Absolutely, ms Jackson. You know Highland Park offers a plethora of fine arts programs, from the arts to orchestra to the band. Highland Park is super unique in that we're very well-rounded as a community and the extracurriculars that our students are a part of. Joining us today is Caroline Ellis, a recent grad of the University of Texas, and she grew up in Highland Park And today she's going to talk about how Highland Park, the fine arts program, made her thrive and kind of what she's up to now. So, caroline, welcome on the show.

Speaker 3: 1:10

Hi, thank you all for having me. I'm so excited to be here and chat with you all.

Speaker 1: 1:14

We're so happy to have you here because I know your whole family, as I said when I met you this morning, and I've seen your artwork around town and online and it's just, it's an honor to have you here.

Speaker 3: 1:24

Thank you. Thank you. I'm so excited to chat about me being an artist now and kind of how that came to be growing up in Highland Park and the different things that kind of encouraged me and whoever supported me to get to where I am.

Speaker 1: 1:38

So how did you get started? When did you first know that this was your thing?

Speaker 3: 1:42

So I've always been a lover of art. I remember going to Armstrong Elementary and there was the bike rodeo contest. Whoever came up with the best design would get on the t-shirt, and I always have just loved art class. It's been my favorite class to go to all growing up. Did you make the t-shirt?

Speaker 1: 2:00

I did, yes, i did, i did.

Speaker 3: 2:02

Yes, that was a proud moment for me, but I've always loved art and have kind of leaned into it growing up And I feel like going through the Highland Park school system there were so many great teachers along the way. My family was very supportive of this hobby. That kind of grew over time And I feel like there's just so many great resources for people who maybe want to do artwork.

Speaker 2: 2:25

Mention how the classes at Highland Park really progressed your artistry. So tell us about some of the classes that you took at Highland Park.

Speaker 3: 2:31

Yes. So I feel like at a young age, obviously everyone is taking an art class. I think in fifth grade you take it for like one fourth of the year, so those were always really fun. And then when I was able to choose an art class I think more in high school I remember choosing to do pre-AP art And then I went into I think it was AP art for and then also graphic design, and even though graphic design was kind of like a beginner's course that a lot of people maybe take for fun, i feel like it really gave me the fundamentals of Photoshop in order to create things that I do now, and I feel like it was just a really great foundation to kind of build upon after I graduated Absolutely.

Speaker 1: 3:11

Did you have any one teacher that you felt like really influenced you and really encouraged you to pursue this?

Speaker 3: 3:17

Yes, So I actually had two teachers that come to mind who really influenced me and inspired me. My first teacher was in fifth grade, mrs Lauer. I'm not sure if she's still there, but she was also my dad's teacher when he was growing up. Oh wow, believe it or not, that's cool. Yeah, small world. But she, i just remember, always encouraged me to kind of make what I wanted to make And that kind of helped me with like painting and drawing. And then the second teacher who really inspired me was Mr Letterman. He was my graphic design teacher. I don't know if anyone listening has had him, or their kids.

Speaker 2: 3:54

I have. You did No way. He's a character, he's so sweet.

Speaker 3: 3:58

He was super fun, but also was always there to help And that really helped me with my graphic design skills.

Speaker 1: 4:05

Well, i think it's so important to have you know that community that really encourages you, like what you said earlier, of doing your own thing, like not fitting within the box. Because I remember having a friend when our kids were younger and she was very much a perfectionist And so when her kid was in art class, you know, making a little sculpted thingy, she would come in and correct her because it wasn't perfect And that just used to drive me crazy. Because art is so subjective, it should be up to the creator's discretion how they want it. Maybe they don't want it to look perfect, maybe they want it to have rough edges and things like that. So that's interesting that you said. You know your teacher really encouraged that And it sounds like your parents did as well.

Speaker 3: 4:44

Yes, i feel like having a teacher or a role model who supports any of your decisions in life and on the canvas, i feel like, is really important, because sometimes your best designs will come from those things that you're taking swings at or maybe taking a risk, and so it's important that people are always supportive of that.

Speaker 2: 5:02

Caroline, you mentioned all the art classes, how everyone kind of takes the same ones going in, like especially in middle school and like freshman year. But tell us how you really tell us about how you made your artwork, your own, like how you went. I know you started with watercolor paintings and now you're doing the shoes and booze collection, which is amazing. So tell us kind of about that.

Speaker 3: 5:25

Yeah for sure. So I feel like in high school, like I mentioned in graphic design, that really started making me want to design things on the side. So I remember I downloaded Photoshop. I was a little rusty at first, but it started off kind of with just like fun edits of my friends or maybe like a fake album cover And then I really got into that. So that is kind of my digital design beginning. And then for the watercolors, I remember my senior year of high school.

Speaker 3: 5:53

I wanted to gift my girlfriend group like a personable gift that they could each take to their own college, And so I painted this photo of our friend group from a trip we all went on together with pins and watercolor And it was probably like a four by six inch small little thing. And then I got them each printed out and gave them to each of my friends and posted that on my art Instagram, which at the time had probably 30 followers. My mom was probably the one who was consistently making the photos at the time. But then when I got to college, I met a lot of girls, specifically in my dorm room, in my dorm, who would see the photo and wanted me to do that for maybe their family or a group of their friends. So the beginning of kind of my art business and selling art was really these watercolor portraits that I sold to friends and family.

Speaker 3: 6:45

And then during COVID I got a lot of orders just from people who were in their house who wanted to give their mom something special on Mother's Day, And so that is kind of how it all started. And then I majored in advertising when I was at UT And I really fell in love with the creative side of advertising And so I was lucky enough to be in the program called Texas Creative, which is basically the creative portfolio program for advertising at UT, And so with this I was able to create campaigns for different brands and really build my graphic design skills. So that's kind of how I built my skills there and started creating digital works in college Super cool.

Speaker 1: 7:32

So what are you going to be doing now, the now that you've graduated Right?

Speaker 3: 7:36

So I'm here in Dallas, i'm looking for a job in creative advertising, which is really what I'm passionate about, and I'm hoping to continue growing my art business on the side, and so basically, my plan is to have a full job where I'm able to be creative and then come home And I can hopefully continue to be creative with all my art.

Speaker 2: 8:00

I mean any company would be so lucky to have you. You have such a unique art work. If you all haven't seen her Instagram. it's Caroline Ellis Art And it's the coolest stuff. Nothing's like it. Why don't you tell us about your favorite art piece?

Speaker 3: 8:15

Yes. So last summer is when I really started leaning into this kind of retro aesthetic. That also kind of had some cocktail imagery, just a bunch of fun things that girls my age really love. It's very girly but also retro and just kind of has hints of pop culture in it. And so one of my collections is called Dive In And it's this imagery basically of retro kind of 60s swimmers and divers diving into a cocktail and then kind of fun retro scenery in the background.

Speaker 3: 8:52

And so I remember I posted a few of these designs on TikTok, thinking that no one would really see it, and a few of these videos got way more views than I was expecting And so I gained this kind of new following of people who are really into this new aesthetic that I had introduced. That was kind of a new direction from the watercolor paintings And so that was really fun to kind of gain an audience of girls that are around my age who were really excited about these designs. And then I also did this collection called Shoes and Booze, and I've always loved shoes And so I always am trying to put different shoes in my artwork And I was thinking to myself what would go with shoes, so it's not just a shoe on a piece of artwork, and so I decided to flip the shoe upside down and put different cocktails placed on top of it, and so I did a series of digital drawings for these and posted those on TikTok, which, if anyone is trying to promote their artwork, i highly recommend using TikTok. It's a great tool to reach people your age And it just really an algorithm of it boosts your posts, i think, in a way that is more efficient than Instagram.

Speaker 3: 10:05

So then, after the shoes and shoes and booze collection kind of took off and got more attention than I was used to, i put all these designs on my portfolio website, which also has all of my ad campaigns that I've done in school, and so for any designer, i really recommend creating a portfolio. This could be your schoolwork, this could be designs you've created on your own, but it's a really great tool just to showcase all the work that you're really proud of. So, and this will also help you to get a job in the future when recruiters see all this work that you've done. But basically, shoes and booze and dive in are my two most popular collections, i would say, and those are my favorites still to this day and I hope to keep growing them.

Speaker 1: 10:50

Well, we were so excited. Alexis was the proud recipient of one of your pieces of art as a grad gift and it was all the scenery of Texas, which is just like really iconic little things all put together and I guess I would call it a montage. Yes, and you've done. You've done several cities right. Yes, for sure.

Speaker 3: 11:07

So I started with Dallas because that, you know, has a piece hits home for me, And then I expanded it to Austin, And something I love doing is asking questions on my Instagram stories. So when I started this collection, I asked my followers what cities would you all like to see featured in this collection? And so I got some answers of cities I might not have ever been to. I did Miami, I did Nashville, New York, Los Angeles, and I'm hoping to expand it because I really want everyone to feel connected to this, even if they're not from a huge city. But yes, it started with Dallas.

Speaker 2: 11:45

That collection is amazing. I love it And I want to put it in my apartment next year. So I know your work has been featured in TBD lounge, so why don't you tell us about how that happened and what it was like seeing your artwork in that restaurant?

Speaker 3: 12:01

So I remember last summer, when my dive in and shoes and booze collection was kind of getting more attention, ms Dunstan texted me and told me that she was designing a new lounge in Dunstons, which I grew up going to Dunstons and was excited that they were introducing kind of a new fun, modern like bar in the back. And she said that they were looking for artwork to put on the walls And she was kind of coordinating with their interior designer And so I sent her a few options of my artwork that I thought would look good in the space. And I remember we kind of just texted back and forth And I would send her kind of photoshopped versions of different pieces of my art in the space. And then we decided on the two that are there right now.

Speaker 3: 12:43

I believe one is from my dive in series and one is a red Jordan shoe with an espresso martini on it, which was perfect for them because I think they have a signature espresso martini drink on their menu. So we both thought this was a great fit. I remember chatting with her about what size we wanted these two prints to be, because they were both kind of the same dimensions And I remember we decided we wanted them to be basically take up the entire wall. So I believe both of these pieces are five or six feet tall And I think they just look really great in the space and complement the interior design. And, yeah, it's so exciting to have my pieces in there.

Speaker 1: 13:22

Well, i have spent a pretty good amount of time at TBD And I've definitely noticed your art And I didn't realize it was that big. Just being in that room It doesn't seem quite that big, but it's the perfect fit. Like you said, they are known for their espresso martini And it's just a really cute tie in, and I absolutely love that Anna picked you to do the artwork, because I'm really big on local businesses and supporting local people, so that's the perfect fit.

Speaker 2: 13:45

I had a question about AI. I was wondering if you had any thoughts about, like with the upcoming of artificial intelligence, where you think how you think that would affect artists, if at all.

Speaker 3: 13:58

So, yeah, that's a great question. I actually don't have much experience with AI art. I've seen other people use apps and things like that. I've heard that it could be putting a lot of artists and writers in trouble. I don't know how accurate this is, but I honestly think that it could be used as a great tool for people who are trying to get an idea of what to create. I feel like sometimes I'll have an idea in my head And sometimes it doesn't. It just doesn't come together compositionally Or I'm not sure what the final touch to bring it all together would be. But I feel like artists could use AI as a tool, kind of as inspiration. If you're trying to think of a subject or a layout of your composition, I think it could be a good tool to use as a reference photo. But AI is something I definitely need to get into. I'm usually more kind of just doing it on my own, but yeah, that's a great question.

Speaker 1: 14:56

So tell us more about that. I get AI and chat GPT totally for writing for the same reasons. What you're saying is like if you have writer's blog or you're having a hard time getting your thoughts like flowing properly, but how does it work in regards to artwork?

Speaker 3: 15:11

So, from what I understand, i think that it's similar to where, when, if you're having AI generate maybe an essay or a paragraph for you, I think that you type in kind of what you want. So, let's say, i wanted, you know, a scenic view of a mountain with a castle on the top in clouds, and I want the main colors to be orange and blue. I think you would type that in and then enter, and then it would kind of give you like an image of what that would look like. Oh, wow, okay, so it's pretty cool. This is only from what I've heard of it, but I definitely need to try it out because it sounds like a really cool tool that could be that artists could use.

Speaker 1: 15:52

So, caroline, as a mom, sometimes we know early on if our kids don't have a propensity towards sports, and maybe they have a propensity towards something else, such as art. And I wanted to get your advice, just like, how can we, as moms, get our child more involved in the artistic side if they're not so inclined towards sports?

Speaker 3: 16:11

Yeah, that's a great question, Martha, i would say, especially for me. I remember my mom and dad were always just so supportive of what I was making, maybe even if in the back of their mind they're like what on?

Speaker 2: 16:22

earth is that.

Speaker 3: 16:25

So, obviously, being supportive is number one. I think number two is just making sure that they're surrounded by friends who are supporting them. I remember my group of friends was always very supportive of me pursuing art. And then the third thing, if they are doing other hobbies. I remember in high school I did basketball for a little bit and I had this coach who encouraged me to go to an art competition while I was actually missing a basketball game, and I think that's kind of rare in this world since, like y'all are saying, sports are so prioritized.

Speaker 3: 16:57

I think finding people who realize that what you're passionate about is maybe what you one day will pursue and find success in, so I think finding these teachers, these friends, these parents, finding this community that is really supporting them and supporting their goals and their dreams for the future, is super important. I think another thing is surrounding your kids with influences in their chosen art. So for me, when I was little, i loved Andy Warhol. I loved, still love Ashley Longshore, and so if there's artists that they look up to, maybe get them a coffee table book or maybe let them get a poster in their room. I think this is super important because the people who you look up to, especially in art or music or whatever creative industry. It is really help form your own style. So I think being exposed to this when you're growing up, going through school, is really important.

Speaker 2: 17:48

So, Caroline, I remember in middle school they had a competition you could enter into, and I can't remember if it was like teachers submit you or the students do so why don't you tell us a little bit about that?

Speaker 3: 18:00

Yes, so I remember in middle school you were able to showcase your art in the auditorium and the parents would come by and that was really fun because everyone would kind of get to see what you'd been working on. But I will say, in high school, when I did the AP art classes, you were able to choose a piece of art and enter it into, i think, like a scholastic competition. So I remember we went to Coppell High School on a Saturday and you get an interview about your piece, which is kind of fun, because in high school you haven't really experienced that whole interview process and I remember they asked you kind of what inspired your piece, what your piece symbolizes, your favorite parts about the piece, and then they give you a score and if you get a score high enough it'll move on to another competition. And so choosing to do this I think was a really fun way to get involved in art, but also a way to kind of to show your work to others.

Speaker 1: 18:56

There's another thing that we haven't really addressed yet, and that is how art is such a good outlet for stress and, just like anytime you're going through a rough time, just being able to focus on that paper or that canvas or the computer, whatever case it might be, it just really gives yourself an opportunity, even if you don't have that propensity towards art. It's just you're making up your own thing and you're just letting your mind flow and it's just a really good outlet. Like my daughter, alexis, used to do a lot of watercolors when she was feeling stressed and it was a really good, positive outlet for her and I was always proud of her for taking care of it that way.

Speaker 3: 19:32

Yes, for sure. I totally agree with that and relate to how it's such an amazing creative outlet. I remember my freshman year of college. I hadn't really pursued doing art in my dorm because we were so busy with school and social events, and I remember telling my roommate I need to have a creative outlet somehow, because I'm going to go crazy and I'm just a very creative person. When I remember I took my watercolors because it doesn't take up too much space. It's great for when you're going to school.

Speaker 3: 20:03

Ever since then, i would specifically make time for myself to create something, hopefully every day, if it wasn't every day, just a couple times a week. Even if you're not naturally a creative person, i still think it's a really great way to let off stress, just kind of relax. I feel like I've never finished creating something and thought to myself I feel worse. You will always feel better after creating something. It's almost like working out or any other hobby like that, and even if you're not a good artist, it doesn't matter. It really just helps your mindset and your focus and it's always a great thing to do.

Speaker 1: 20:41

Well, caroline, that's great advice. I totally agree with you. It's almost like, like you said, working out it releases serotonin and those feel good hormones and it's just overall it's good for everybody.

Speaker 2: 20:51

Thank you so much for being on the show with us. You're truly an inspiration and so amazing. Everyone, caroline Ellis is a force to be reckoned with and any company would be so, so lucky to have her, and y'all can all find her art on her Instagram account, caroline Ellis Art, and also her LinkedIn and her portfolio on her website, and everyone. Go check her out. You will not regret it and she will put the fun and creativeness.

Speaker 1: 21:20

And let's get this girl a job. Yes, she needs it.

Speaker 3: 21:22

Thank you guys.

Speaker 1: 21:25

Too sweet. That's been another episode of the Bubble Lounge. I'm Martha Jackson And I'm Chloe Wolce, and we'll catch you next time.