Today we’d like to introduce you to Barbara Sulbaran.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Barbara. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
From a young age, it had been clear that I had a passion for art. I would want as many colored markers as possible rather than dolls and would beg my parents to take me to the art supply store instead of the toy store. As time passed, I got involved in art programs through school and through my community back in Venezuela, where I was born and raised. Upon moving to the United States, I used my art as an outlet of expression to share my emotions and communicate what I couldn’t say with words. Upon entering high school, I became very involved with the art program where I was able to figure out what type of art I loved the most and served as an officer to the National Art Honor Society of my school. I took sculpture and ceramics courses all four years and found a passion for working in a 3D perspective. Through 3D art, I was able to learn that viewing a piece from multiple perspectives makes people pay attention to details yet enables them to hold on to the overall idea of a piece.
In the Fall of 2018, I began to pursue a double major degree in Studio Art and Geological Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin. During my freshman year, I extended my focus to other artistic techniques such as various painting mediums, mixed media sculpture, 3D imaging and printing. I had amazing opportunities come my way such as putting together my first art show and showcasing it at Ballet Austin. As there were many opportunities in the art community, I also found myself really interested in what geology had in store for me since it puts the world into another perspective. Eventually, I was torn between my two passions for art and science and decided to only pursue my undergraduate degree in Geological Sciences. Regardless of the shift in my degree, I still make art pieces out of my own pleasure and take on projects for commission pieces such as sculptures and paintings.
Has it been a smooth road?
A life filled with success isn’t paved smoothly, there must be bumps in the road one must overcome in order to make our dreams our reality. Personally, some of the struggles I have faced come with the fact that my family and I are immigrants. We have had to face adversity, deal with the language barrier, and adjust to a completely different culture. Getting through some of those obstacles have made me a stronger, more understanding, and an extremely determined person. These qualities drive me to ask more of myself when I’m near giving up and push me to keep pursuing my goals even if everything else seems to go against them. I believe women have all the capabilities to set their mind, body, and emotions to act upon their wishes and go out and do the things they have always wanted. It is important to remember that everyone has a different path and they go at their own rhythm but it is even more important to fill yourself with confidence that you can do more than you think you can.
What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
Even though I have moved away from the idea of pursuing an art degree, I have not given up my passion for the arts or for the concept of 3D imaging. I still continue to sculpt with ceramics and paint with acrylics and oils. Furthermore, through the Jackson School of Geosciences, I have an amazing opportunity to work at The High-Resolution X-ray Computed Tomography Facility at The University of Texas at Austin (UTCT) as an undergraduate research assistant. This lab is a national shared multi-user facility supported by the Instrumentation and Facilities Program of NSF’s Earth Sciences (EAR) directorate. UTCT offers scientific researchers across the globe, biological and engineering sciences access to a completely nondestructive technique for visualizing features in the interior of opaque solid objects, and for obtaining digital information on their 3D geometries and properties.
Do you have any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general? What has worked well for you?
In life, there are many people that can be helpful, supportive, encouraging, and inspirational. The approach I have taken to find these people is to put myself out of my comfort zone and reach out regardless of any fears of rejection. This to me has meant meeting professionals, emailing professors, interviewing artists, or even simply talking to classmates I look up to. Reaching out is the first step you can take in order to learn or gain something from someone. Networking and being sociable really helps open up opportunities you might miss trying to find them on your own. I definitely advise people to go out and speak their minds to others because you never know who will be willing to help you achieve your dreams.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://barbarasulbaran.crevado.com
- Phone: 8173724438
- Email: barbarassulbaran@gmail.com
- Instagram: @barbaras1121
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