Especially for the LPJ.
Like everything else in life, the art world has gone through a huge evolution in recent years as our technology advances and access becomes more widespread. We’ve seen artists evolve from painting and drawing on paper to now applying those same skills and techniques to a digital medium.
Chlese Henderson is a young digital illustrator here in Ruston. She came to Louisiana Tech as a new student in 2015 and has been a fixture there ever since. Chlese says she loves creating imaginative characters and illustrating stories around them.
But she doesn’t just work in digital art. She also sews and uses this skill to create new and unique garments from upcycled materials. She especially enjoys working with vintage fabrics, buttons and trims to add a nostalgic touch to her creations.
Like so many other local artists, Henderson says she’s been making art for as long as she can remember, since she could hold a pencil in her hands. Chlese says her iPad and Apple Pencil are some of her favorite tools, but she also enjoys having a good mechanical pencil with a fresh eraser and nice, smooth blank paper.'”
Chlese graduated from Louisiana Tech in 2019 with a Fine Arts degree with a concentration in Digital Illustration. Since then, she has been awarded the 2022 Argent Distinguished Fellow in Residency at the Hambidge Center for the Creative Arts & Sciences. She has participated in various local art exhibitions and was one of the featured artists in NCLAC’s 2023 Holiday Arts Tour along with her sister Camellia.
Henderson claims that her biggest inspiration for her work comes from people and nature. “I often see these special features when I walk past people out in the world, like their hairstyle or their fashion choices, and I love to take those little details that catch my eye and honor that person by incorporating them into a character I’m drawing,” Chlese explains. “I also love doing the same with nature; I take the special little beauties I see in rocks, clouds, sunlight, or a leaf and incorporate that beauty into my work.”
Chlese’s passion for art stems from the freedom of expression she finds on her journey. She also says she loves that art allows her to connect with others and make the world and our communities more beautiful, vibrant and fun.
When asked about her creative process, Henderson says she always has to be full of the good things in life before she can create something. “I feel most ready to create art after I’ve taken a walk, had a good conversation with a friend, read a great book, or seen other art that makes me happy,” Chlese explains.
Famous artists from whom Chlese draws further inspiration include Hayao Miyazaki (Studio Ghibli), Genndy Tartakovsky (Samurai Jack), Tiffany Ford (Craig of the Creek), Patrick McHale (Over the Garden Wall), Anna-Laura Sullivan and Hiller Goodspeed.
Chlese says she wants to convey many different things with her art, but if she had to pick one, it’s that she wants her art to convey that black girls and women are fun and imaginative too. For other creatives, she has this advice: “When you create something, try not to worry about what you think people expect of you. Instead, create something that makes you smile and piques your interest. Even if it doesn’t get the most likes, you’ll always be proud of it!”
You can follow Chlese Henderson on Instagram at chlarts as well as on her website at chlesejiles.wixsite.com/mysite. She is also part of a collaborative pop-up art shop with her sister Camellia Bailey, aptly named Sister Shop. You can find her on Instagram at sistershop.jiles.
