By Quinta Goines

With sketch pad and pen in hand, Reginald Waller headed to the Troy University’s Malone Hall courtyard Sunday evening to practice his craft of drawing.

But he had no idea that The Dart would find him.

Waller is a senior studio art major from Tuscaloosa, and he finds himself at the courtyard when seeking inspiration.

“I come back here to look at other artwork because it lets me know to get out of my comfort zone,” he said. “I come back here because as an artist your work can get stale, so surrounding myself around other people’s work inspires me to do new stuff.”

When The Dart found Waller he was not drawing anything in particular; he was just sketching different television characters and symbols.

Art could be considered a way of life for Waller. He has been drawing since he can remember, so was only natural for him to pursue career in art.

“Growing up I saw my parents working jobs that they did not really like and barely making ends meet, so I decided if I was going to struggle, I was going to struggle at a job I enjoy doing,” Waller said.

Waller said drawing is a big part of his self-expression. “If I am angry and sit down to draw, I never get rid of it, because once I am in a better state of mind I look back at it. It was something I once felt and overcame.”

When Waller was a senior in high school he asked his parents for a tablet computer to help him transition into digital art. Once he became skilled at using a tablet and digital art he started selling some of his art pieces.

At first Waller used social media to promote his artwork, but now he has a website to showcase his artwork.

“Instagram can only take you so far when it comes to selling your work, so I started my own website notsostarvedartist.com. Plus, it is more professional to have a website when you are running a business.”