Brooke Mallory, an art major graduating in May, is likely to be found in the city that never sleeps, or in other words, the Art Department. Art students spend day and night in their studios, keeping the buildings alive at all hours. Mallory is no exception. Oil paints and photographs are strewn about the cubicle Mallory calls a second home. The space is undoubtedly lived in. 

From varsity athletics to her art, Mallory’s dedication has always been solid. In high school, she was captain of the tennis team and played varsity soccer as a freshman. On the side, Mallory excelled in drawing, winning first place for a piece she submitted to a local fair in San Diego. 

Zaum, Sonoma State University’s literary magazine, has selected several pieces of Mallory’s work for their cover and to include in their upcoming issue. Zaum accepts student submissions of prose, poetry and visual art. Submissions are open to undergraduate and graduate students around the world.

“I was really surprised by the pieces they chose, but it’s something I’m very excited about,” said Mallory. 

The cover will feature an abstract painting she calls “Waiting.”

“I was inspired by people waiting in line at the bathroom,” said Mallory. “The colors I used are meant to resemble the energy of each person in line and the chaos of those energies combined.”

 Among the other works selected are an etching print called “Genesis” and an illustration called “Lunch Break.”

Mallory explained that her creative process begins by finding images she likes and grouping them together in Photoshop to create a scene, which she will either paint or illustrate. She creates abstraction with the graphic images and textural marks.   During the process she often adds more to the scene, as she is easily inspired. Utopian and dystopian societies have always been of interest to Mallory. 

“The chaos of one and the perfection of the other excites and mystifies me,” said Mallory. “They impose a sense of wonder and philosophical thinking that I try to convey aesthetically through my work.”

However, her intention is often to create something beautiful rather than to convey a specific meaning.

This semester, Mallory is in advanced painting and drawing, but she has experimented with other mediums as well. This includes sculpture, photography, digital art and ceramics. While her focus is illustration she was surprised at how taken she was by these classes.

“I’ve learned about and enjoyed so many other forms of art making that I would’ve never thought would interest me beforehand,” said Mallory.

“I’m very proud to see Brooke succeeding in ways I had once dreamed of for myself,” said Mallory’s father, a hairdresser with a passion for art.

After graduation, Mallory hopes to continue her artistic pursuits as an animator. Eventually, she would like to work at Pixar or Dreamworks. First, she plans to move to Santa Cruz to gain experience working with artists and marketing for designers. Whether it’s graphic design, editing or illustration, any experience counts when entering a competitive field. Mallory’s enthusiasm and publications will certainly shine on her résumé.