410 Forum — Arts
In The Presence Of Talent
By Erin Armitage
Many UNC art students find themselves spending hours in the art studios on campus perfecting their work. Eric Dunn is no exception. The aspiring young artist gets a glimpse of perfection every time he steps foot in the studio.
As a college student, Dunn’s afternoon is quite simple. It starts with grabbing a tuna sandwich, an apple and a bag of Sun Chips from the to go stand in Tobey Kendel Hall. As he maneuvers his way past the other students, who like himself are trying to get their afternoon lunch in, he stops to tie the shoelace that trails his checkered shoes. His attire consists of an aqua blue striped t-shirt with a pair of ripped jeans. A scarf drapes over the front of his body, and a thin jacket protects him from the gusty wind outside. Before heading to the art studio, he slips into his dorm room to grab his supplies.
“It’s a breath of fresh air knowing I get to devote a couple hours of my time in the studio,” Dunn said. “Excitement takes over my body whenever I pick up my art supplies and head for the front door.”
His supplies consist of his sketchbook, a couple of pencils, and a box of oil pastels. He sets the hand picked pastel colors and pencils directly in front of him. He places his sketchbook within arms reach, giving himself enough space for his artwork. Before getting started on his drawing, Dunn takes a quick peek around the room. There are only a couple other students surrounding him. All of which sit calmly in their seats, staring at the artwork that occupies the tables.
As Dunn flips open to the page of his drawing, he reveals his artistic talent as a colorful sunset begins to appear on the paper. The bright colors stand out against the dark background color of the paper. He begins to work on the untouched portion of the drawing, picking up the red and pink pastels, and then switching to orange and purple, blending the colors oh so carefully, giving it a natural glow. Dunn expresses a smile of contentment as he grabs more pastel colors from his bag.
“The studio omits a calming feeling,” said Kaylie Hall, a classmate of Eric’s. “ It’s almost like you are in a quiet sanctuary.”
The calm movements of the students seem to be the reoccurring factor throughout the room. As the hour passes by, you begin to see the other students, who are working so diligently on their own pieces of work, get up, gather their belongings and vacate the studio. The black and white clock, which hangs on the wall next to the door, shows 4 p.m. Dunn and another student are the only ones left.
“It’s very easy to get your work done in a place as peaceful as the studio,” said Mark Jones, a UNC art student. “It’s nothing like going to the library or trying to get your work done with loud roommates.”
The room seems to get darker by the minute, losing its calming effect as the students leave. Dunn stands up to stretch his arms, still gripping a bright orange pastel tightly between his fingers. He closely admires his almost finished work in front of him. As he puts the pastels back into the box and throws his sketchbook in his bag, he takes a deep breath and smiles at what he just accomplished.
“The feeling I get when I accomplish something so important to me is indescribable,” Dunn said.
More on Eric Dunn
• Dunn’s drawing of a sunset was featured in the student show starting April 8.
• As part of an art club project in high school, Dunn painted a mural of 9/11 on one of the walls at Northglenn High School.
