When art is life: Meet visual arts major Elizabeth Theriot

Written byAmanda Burleigh

“My entire life revolves around creating art, so choosing to study visual arts was a way to give myself new experiences and learning opportunities that would help me improve my skills. My goal is to tell stories through visual art, and UL Lafayette has a great arts program.”

Elizabeth Theriot
Major
Visual Arts
Hometown
Houma, La.

Where I'm From

I’m from Houma, La., and have always had a passion for art.

Where I Am

I’m a student worker and I’m loving the balance of liberties and limitations in my design classes.

Where I'm Going

My goal is to tell stories through art.

After a high school field trip to campus — paired with her own research about the ŷƬ and its proximity to her home in Houma, La. — choosing to attend UL Lafayette was a simple task for Elizabeth Theriot.

“Even without seeing the rest of the campus, I thought it was a nice place,” Elizabeth said.

Elizabeth is a visual arts major with a concentration in computer animation.

“My entire life revolves around creating art, so choosing to study visual arts was a way to give myself new experiences and learning opportunities that would help me improve my skills,” she said. “My goal is to tell stories through visual art, and UL Lafayette has a great arts program.”

Elizabeth’s favorite class has been Basic Design I (DSGN 101) taught by James Tancill.

“It was my first class as a college freshman, and it was the perfect balance of being taught a skill then applying it,” she said. “The projects themselves were fun because they had the right amount of limitations to liberties. My thoughts on what design could be were expanded and I loved it.”

The variety of classes available for visual arts majors has been a major plus for Elizabeth.

“A big part of choosing UL Lafayette was because I wanted to learn as much as possible about art, and it’s delivering on my expectations so far,” she said. “I’ve worked with pens, pencils, charcoal, metal copper, foam boards, and more. It’s great!”

Elizabeth has been particularly pleased with learning how different supplies and materials work.

“If I want to make something specific, then my knowledge of what tool will do what will help me buy the right supplies,” she said. “The next most important thing I've learned is that practice is a necessity. Lots of time has to be dedicated to improving through practice.”