Meet OLLI Art Instructor Abby Hermes

A natural-born artist, Abby Hermes always knew that she was destined to have art in her life. Now, she teaches CCPE courses varying from Drawing FUNdamentals to Gouache Painting.

Abby has been teaching at KSU since before graduating college from Reinhardt University in 2015. Her classes are Beginner Pencil, Pen, and Ink; Drawing FUNdamentals: Drawing a Portrait, Pencil, Pen and Ink-Intermediate; Animation Appreciation; Gouache Painting; Social Media for the Seasoned Adult; and Color Theory for the Artist.

“When I was 2 years old, I had a couple of dream jobs in mind: being an artist and being an environmental lawyer,” Abby said. “Funny enough, now I’ve squished the two together as an artist who primarily uses eco-friendly materials to promote environmental awareness in consumerism.”

When she is not in a classroom teaching art, Abby also does illustrative work. She has painted many original pieces and also likes to create products such as tapestries, T-shirts, and stickers.

“Experimenting with as many mediums and art forms as possible can potentially shift my viewpoint on what art and the world is,” Abby said.

Her art can also be seen in various conventions across the Southeast. Currently, she does promotional work for SeishunCon in Atlanta and Otakon in Washington, D.C.

Abby encourage anyone with an interest in learning how to draw, paint or create to take her courses.

“The most important things about learning how to draw is having the students build confidence, trust and patience in themselves while learning how to really look at an object rather than just see it at face value,” she said.

Next on her list: hosting an art show with the OLLI program to display the works of past and current students.

Watch a timelapse of Abby creating an original piece of art, a beautiful sketch of a nymph.
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