Saint Mary's art majors Keri Lanchsweerdt and Mary Robinson presented their senior comprehensive exhibition Friday at the Moreau Center for the Arts, demonstrating their capacity for visual perception, imagination and expression.

On huge frames of canvas, Lanchsweerdt expressed the far-reaching power of diseases in her family.

As a child, Lanchsweerdt was affected by her father's arthritis in that it prevented her from playing some sports with him that other children might normally have played with their fathers.

"All diseases my family [have] affected me in some shape or form," said Lanchsweerdt. "I decided to do large paintings because the disease is small and microscopic, and the huge paintings represent the power of the disease. I used oils because I like the way they blend. They don't dry as easily. I wanted to get a lot of emotion [in my pieces]. I hope the pieces are powerful."

Robinson tried to reflect on her life choices in her exhibition, which consists of several garments and outfits she put together.

"Some [choices] were good, some were bad," she explained. "But even the bad choices I gained from."

"In these garments I'd like to present both positive and negative role choices. They're called symbolic garments to represent roles that have been taken -- mother, father," said Robinson, whose father and husband were alcoholics.

"I raised my children by myself," Robinson said. "[The art project] brought up a lot of bad memories. Even after reflecting, though, I realize I'll never be a weak or defeated person."

This close relationship the artists have with their work make this a very important part of their lives, said Johnson Bowles, director of the Moreau Center.

"They work very hard. This is very important to them and they typically have an emotional contact with their piece of work," he said. "The best part is how much of themselves they put into it. It's unique to have your own show as an undergraduate."

Each student submitted a proposal to the art department the semester before exhibition.

The materials, method and content of their artwork are all presented in a short paper and a "maquette," which is a small scale version of a piece of artwork, demonstrating proportion technique.

When the proposal is accepted, the students work with an advisor.

"They also spend some time talking with me in the gallery about presentation and professional criteria of how to show work," Bowles said. "It is a solely individual project."

The art department wants the students to be educated on how to be professional with their work. The department makes contracts with the students and treats them as if they are professional artists.

"Some students have even shown their senior composition projects in professional galleries, said Bowles.

"It was a lot of time," said Lanchsweerdt. "Each painting took roughly 12 hours. I built everything myself. It took everything from going to Lowe's to buy the wood to building the structure. It was an expensive project."

Robinson, meanwhile, spent time finding garments of clothing and making garments completely from scratch.

"I dyed fabric, applied textures and [did] surface design," said Robinson.

Both Robinson and Lanchsweerdt have plans for what they would like to do after they graduate this semester.

"I would like to either go into advertising or web design and do my painting on the side," said Lanchsweerdt.

"I'd like to work on ceramics and photography," said Robinson, who also one day wants to be an art teacher and work in a gallery.

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