Student Artist Spotlight: Cole Harrington
Cole Harrington is a junior at Bridgewater State University. Originally from East Bridgewater, MA, Cole majors in communication with a focus on film. Ever since middle school, Cole has been incredibly interested in drawing creatures and creating art.
Cole’s fascination with art began once schools nation-wide starting distributing Chromebooks to middle school students. Oftentimes, during class, Cole would spend his time on pixel art programs exploring the features provided and the images he could create. This started as a way to be funny, illustrating comical characters to his friends. However, as time went on, art became much more of an emotional outlet.
Cole loves working with mixed media, finding the different textures that come of it to be incredibly interesting. Most of his current art consists of hand-painted backgrounds, which are then uploaded onto his computer, and digital characters are added on top. The layered effect creates a unique style reminiscent of many of Cole’s inspirations. He has always been inspired by the 1990s to early 2000s style, especially found in comic books and band posters of this era. Along with this, Cole says that his inspirations are Edmund McMillen, creator of The Binding of Isaac, and David Firth, creator of Salad Fingers.
Cole’s artistic process is often sporadic and depends on the project. Oftentimes, he gains inspiration from simply going outside and enjoying nature. Sometimes, he gains inspiration from music or art galleries, and much of his art is a depiction of the things he sees everyday from his own perspective.
When asking Cole why art is important, he argues, “Art is important because it can convey emotions that talking cannot. It’s a great way to get emotions out there and connect with millions of different people who might not be able to hold a conversation, but can connect spiritually with their art.” He argues art is one of the best and universal forms of communication, something that transcends language; it’s crucial to see art alive and thriving.
When it comes to the specific type of art Cole creates, he makes it because “Nobody is going to make the art you want to see unless you go out and make it yourself. Some art isn’t marketable, so it doesn’t get made. You need to go out there and create it yourself.” Plus, he truly finds it to be fun; making art and showing it to his friends is one of the many joys in this life.
If you want to see more of Cole’s art, check out @bigbucksdraws on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube. Cole is also a member of the WBIM, and has a radio show every Thursday night from 9-10 PM: Everything is on Fire. Be sure to tune in!
