Astrid Gomes

2020 Senior Exhibition Artists

Astrid Gomes

Art + Design: Illustration

Biography

Astrid Gomes is a self taught traditional artist who lives and works in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Inspired by children’s form of thinking, her colorful yet rather silly illustrations pay homage to her childhood. Her distinctive personal style emanates joy and laughter and expresses the chaos and vibrant atmosphere that is a child’s dream or nightmare.

Booger brawls, seal snails, giant pancake creatures, are all brought to life with bright colors and bold compositions. As the artist explains, “ I am telling a story of dreams and nightmares when things don’t always make sense, and are up and down, so I welcome everyone to join me on this visual roller coaster.”

She will be graduating the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth with a BFA in Illustration and minor in Art History. After graduation Astrid plans on furthering her skills as a traditional artist with working on more story telling and character design. Being dubbed the “Gouache Queen” by her peers for her love gouache she is set to continue with the same medium along with her new appreciation for digital art.

Statement

As an artist, I like to take the more imaginative approach. My illustrations reflect my interest in the world of children’s books and character design. Dr. Seuss said, “Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living. It’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do. And that enables you to laugh at life’s realities.”

I approach illustration from a child’s imaginative view, exploring where children’s art can take me. Often, the story is created early on, but in my case, the characters usually come first. I would say that my art is targeted for children, but can be for adults as well. I prefer to work in acrylic and gouache, and am aiming to perfect myself on handling each one. I feel they're great for color value and can grab and keep hold of a child’s attention, which is just what I want and look for.