Photo courtesy of Sarah Hempel
Sarah Hempel works in the studio.
Creativity, demanding physical and mental activity, freedom, self-expression and painstaking precision can be combined to represent only a small number of professions—one of these is art.
Naturally progressing from their childhood loves of crayons and Play-Doh, Hillsdale graduates Aaron Zenz (‘98) and Sarah Hempel (‘00) have designed for themselves two amazing and diverse occupations in the art world.
In 1995, Aaron Zenz entered Hillsdale with a longstanding love for drawing and cartooning.
“I didn't have in mind that art was going to be my major,” Zenz recalls. “But the love for art was always there—a natural progression starting with my crayons as a child.”
“He probably dreamed in cartoons,” said his father, David Zenz said, executive director of ITS for Hillsdale College. “He was kind of a quiet kid and drawing was his outlet of creative expression—it allowed him to express his viewpoints, a window to the world.”
Zenz worked under art professor Samuel Knecht and found his place in the art program.
“Here, students are given a fine platform for expanding,” Knecht said. “We provide the skills that give them confidence and the power to realize their creative vision.”
Zenz did just that, finding his niche with colored pencils, launching into projects of serious realistic art and experimenting with new mediums.
“I did some painting, but colored pencil was and is my medium of choice,” Zenz said. “The great advantage is the control. But I somewhat misuse them, drawing really hard on the whole surface with dark colors that build on top of one another.”
“Aaron's forte is colored pencil,” Knecht said. “But it is not a forgiving medium, and it requires deliberate build up and planning. It requires the artist to be very skilled because it is a difficult medium to learn on.”
While at Hillsdale, Zenz worked diligently to develop as an artist, all the while cartooning for the Collegian and also mastering computer graphics programs with Professor of Theatre George Angell.
“He was one of the rare students to do both seriously highly realistic art and cartooning equally well—his desire and willingness to study with the best people allowed him a lot of good exposure,” Knecht said.
“Hillsdale emphasized traditional art—it was more about honing and developing skill, talent and technique, as opposed to just expressing yourself,” Zenz said. “Once you're done, you're equipped, and then you can express yourself, much better.”
After graduating, Zenz's love for illustrating fueled his occupational direction, especially children's literature illustration.
An opportunity arose with some colleagues to put together a new childrens' publishing company called Dogs in Hats. Zenz jumped for the chance to work with talented friends and illustrate on his own.
“It was exactly the kind of stuff I wanted to do,” Zenz said. “It really fulfilled a lot of God-given desire of what I want to do with my talents. Combined with working with some of my favorite people, I didn't have to think twice.”
Dogs in Hats creates and publishes coloring books, sticker books, and paint with water books. They are now working on some more high-end childrens' storybooks, presently The Hiccupotamus , which Zenz wrote and illustrated himself.
“I have three kids, and they are a great inspiration,” Zenz said.
“They love having me do what I do, and they're good critics—I can see what works.”
Zenz has a popular piece titled, “Toys on the Tabletop” displayed in the Hillsdale Hospital and other colored pencil and watercolor pieces for show on his website.
“I am able to do something I love—my job and passion are one and the same,” Zenz said. “I work from home, set my own hours, and am able to always be tapping into my creativity; every project requires different exercising of the mind and body.”
Sarah Hempel arrived at Hillsdale in 1996 and pursued art with a medium and a direction much different than Zenz.
“We gravitate towards different forms of expression that suit us best—what feels natural. For Sarah, that was sculpting,” Anthony Frudakis said. “She has a love of beauty and is extremely creative—my admiration and respect for her grew the more I got to know her.”
Hempel's fascination with sculpting had challenges of its own, from physical demands to transitioning into a new and difficult medium.
“I'd been familiar with painting—sculpting felt foreign,” Hempel said. “You have a 360 degree view—with painting or drawing you create an illusion—in sculpting, you create everything.”
In addition to her strong talent, Hempel displayed in art classes an energy and confidence that affected the entire program.
“Sarah brought a wonderful spontaneity and joyfulness—she's a very dynamic and high energy—she helped to loosen class up with her wit and humor” Frudakis said.
Her interest in Greek sculpture coordinated with her pursuit of a classics minor, and the multi-dimensional understanding of the period, from studying and sculpting in it, was captivating.
“I was swept up in the time period,” Hempel said. “I really found my way in Greek and Roman sculpture, and it built a wonderful foundation. Hillsdale equipped me with strong writing skills which have been absolutely invaluable in my work.”
One example was her shocking success at nabbing a difficult commission immediately following graduation. Through an elaborate proposal, Hempel and a fellow sculptor consulted Biblical scripture and latin texts for their idea about the 14 Stations of the Cross for Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Parish in Potomac, Md.
“To engage in such a project of that scope and complexity is very challenging,” Frudakis said. “She's a woman of great faith—and she has this courage, this confidence, to step out—it is a leap of faith.”
Hempel is now on her third project for Our Lady of Mercy, a 7-foot-5-inch form of St. Joseph himself to be placed in one of the niches around the altar.
“It is self-expression—but anything anyone creates is obviously connected to themselves,” Hempel said.
“But it's more powerful to point to the viewer, ‘examine your soul, how does this relate to you?'”
In the historic town of Frederick, Md., Hempel also works as the visual resources coordinator at Hood College. She manages her studio, doing some portrait heads for a museum figure company, and she committs herself full-time for her work for Our Lady of Mercy.
“There is a tremendous amount of satisfaction to labor over something and at the end see how magnificent it is,” Hempel said.
“It's expression because of the decisions I make in the process. But there's also a power in the classic tradition, in doing a Virgin Mary that has been done for one thousand years—there's power because somehow it is timeless.”