At I-Create, our student workers are immensely talented and creative. For this month’s spotlight, we would like to shine a light on one such student, Alex Esquivel. Alex hails from the small town of Eagle Lake, Texas. He began his education at a junior college, before catching word of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Upon reviewing the TAMU-CC fine arts program, Alex decided that the Island University was the institution for him.
After he began attending TAMU-CC, Alex became drawn to the I-Create lab. He says, “When I found out about the lab in my first semester, I would spend all free time there making posters and creating stickers.”
After spending so much time at the lab, he eventually asked if they had a position for him as a student worker. Nearly one year later, he is still working at I-Create. Though you may not be familiar with Alex, you have definitely seen his work if you have visited the makerspace! He designed the massive and colorful “I-Create” banner that emblazons the back wall of the lab.
“When I was asked to update the banner, I knew I wanted to make something unique,” Alex says. “I went for a very simplistic design with a lot of color. I made sure to include some of the equipment of the lab too, like a mouse, a screwdriver, VR goggles, and a spool. Everything in the banner represents something here at I-Create.”
In-between helping patrons set up their own projects, Alex can be found constantly working on his own designs. One piece features an immaculately detailed red octopus sprawled against a paint splattered background. Another features a lone astronaut, drifting through a vast purple nebula. These works were created in Alex’s preferred medium, digital art.
Alex also loves to create designs based on his favorite games, like Pokémon and Doom. He says, “I make stuff based on anything the I like in pop culture. Video games are a good break from art. I like to look at character and environmental designs when I am playing them. This gives me ideas for posters, stickers, and wallpapers.”
Based on his love of creating digital artwork, it is not surprising that his favorite piece of equipment at the lab is the large format printer. Here, he transforms his works into all sorts of decorative items, including stickers, posters, and more. He is also partial to the laser engraver, where he can often be found engraving tumblers for his family and friends. One such design features an intricate picture of a bass being caught from the water with the fishing line wrapping around the cup.
When asked why he love the lab so much, he stated, “The equipment is right here on campus, I don’t have to drive out somewhere far away and pay a lot of money. I can easily walk to I-Create and make a reservation and make stuff more affordably. It’s easily accessible, close by, and cheap. It’s also a place of unlimited creativity and you can make almost anything if you put your mind to it.”
Though you can find him working hard at the University, Alex is no stranger to the hustle outside of school. You can often find him selling his original work at a variety of conventions near and far. You can also find his work across town, adorning a variety of businesses. For them, he has helped make cups, packaging, murals, and more. In fact, he is currently working on a 10×20 foot mural for a local smoothie business. He uses all these proceeds to help pay for his education.
If you are interested in making your own thing at I-Create, Alex has some advice for you. He says, “You can make anything that you want to here at I-Create. Even if you don’t know how to use this stuff, something will interest you. And the staff is more than willing to help and educate you on how to use the machinery.”
To make your own stickers or engrave your own designs, make a reservation on our website and visit the lab for yourself!
