My name is Blake Pierre and I am a passionate artist. As a child I enjoyed drawing cartoon characters and would often challenge myself by attempting to draw challenging compositions accurately. Drawing is something I did regularly and progressed in very quickly as a child. With age I grew distant from drawing, and became more interested in sports and music. I sang, played the drums, enjoyed writing music, creating beats, and became a black belt in taekwondo by age ten. I also played football throughout middle school and high school. My senior year in High School I fractured my left wrist, and was not able to play football. Through this tragedy I discovered my talent and purpose. I started drawing regularly again, and quickly noticed progress in my work. In December my family and I took a trip to New Orleans. During the trip my parents and I visited an art gallery for the first time. Seeing art in a gallery for the first time was an extremely inspirational experience. My most vivid memory was a conversation I had with the gallery owner. He talked to me about a few pieces in the gallery and encouraged me to try painting. Soon after returning home I painted my first abstract acrylic portrait painting that I was very pleased with. Even though I lacked formal knowledge about painting; I seemed to be a natural, possessing my own style, and painting in a very expressive way.
The next school year I entered college as a psychology major and painted in my spare time. After a conversation with the head of the art department I changed my major to Art the spring semester of my freshman year. This was a risky decision for me, however, I decided to work hard, and have faith that I would become a successful artist. Once I graduated from Grambling State University, I moved to Chicago to attend a Post Baccalaureate Certificate program in studio (Painting & Drawing). Being in a major city with more art related opportunity, as well as being immersed in an institution dedicated solely to the education and development of artist was a life changing experience. Being around so many other artist, and having access to the Art Institute of Chicago Museum expanded my mind to a much broader spectrum of information that ultimately shaped my art making practice. I am now continually seeking to expand my practice and grow as an artist.