Up & Coming OKC - Young Adult Artists - 405 Magazine

Up & Coming OKC – Young Adult Artists

We’re back with the February issue of Up & Coming OKC: a series dedicated to showcasing the creative talents of our younger generation. Take a look at last month’s featured young adults.

We’re back with the February issue of Up & Coming OKC — a series dedicated to showcasing the creative talents of our younger generation. Take a look at last month’s featured young adults.


Reid Rasnic – Kinetic Typographer and Digital Collage Artist

Reid Rasnic – Kinetic Typographer and Digital Collage Artist

Through the creation of his own “deconstructed collage loop” artwork, 20-year-old Reid Rasnic masters the world of image design. His love for video and picture editing started in fifth grade, but Rasnic takes his work far past a simple logo. With his spunky contrast of images and eye for collective organization, Rasnic is nothing short of an artistic visionary. 

“More often than not, music is the initial inspiration for my edits,” Rasnic said. “I’m always writing down the names of songs with choppy, unpredictable beats when they catch my attention. I’m a big fan of Kanye, Denzel Curry, Brock Berrigan and ’90s hip-hop — especially for editing. Once I have the track, I mess around with images, generators, text and effects to try to illustrate what the sounds should look like. This is, by far, my favorite part of the creative process.”

Rasnic has a passion for compiling images and videos into mini-masterpieces, and his favorite editing technique is one he created himself. 

“Deconstructed collage loops’ are created once I’ve finalized a collage in Photoshop,” he said. “I go through it and deselect one layer at a time, exporting a new image after each deselection. Then, I import the images into Final Cut or Adobe Premiere as an image sequence of 2-3 frames each, creating a fast-paced ‘deconstructed’ effect. Lastly, I may animate a few effects, add textures or overlays, and place it over a snippet of a looping beat. Done!”

He also dabbles in kinetic typography, the process of animation and text warping. Rasnic’s process expresses a unique creative development within editing software, and he doesn’t plan on stopping after college. In the future, he plans on working with media for churches, sports and other freelance work. 

“It’s really whatever God has in store for me! I’ve hardly scratched the surface of what is possible with it, but that’s the exciting part,” he said. “There is so much to learn, and I’m as passionate as ever about creating eye-catching content.”

Visit @rasnicvisual on Instagram and https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR6hYL2RPlcWStShk3SCEFg on Youtube for more.

Lexi Audus – Makeup Creator

Lexi Audus – Makeup Creator

When Lexi Audus found herself in the pandemic, she dove headfirst into the world of makeup to create her own vegan and cruelty-free brand. As a 24-year-old who grew up playing with makeup, Audus turned to YouTube when she first began to fine-tune her skills. She also began working with local shop Max Mamas, which sells all-natural products to benefit women’s health. 

“During that time, I got to learn a lot about how important it is to be conscious of what ingredients are in what we put in and on our bodies, and I quickly realized how unhealthy the majority of my makeup was,” said Audus. “In February of 2020, I started creating my own homemade makeup just for myself and my friends — until I realized that I really wanted to share my creations with more people! With it being the beginning of a pandemic, I had the perfect opportunity to spend time at home starting my own online business, and JessiLex Makeup was born.”

Audus guarantees hand-crafted and healthy makeup. Rather than taking the easy way out by ordering pre-made bases and ingredients, she sticks to what is natural to redefine women’s health through her own small business. 

“JessiLex Makeup is unique because it is homemade and customized for the client,” said Audus. “Every single lip gloss, eyeshadow and setting spray that goes out is hand-made by me. Although I sell standard products, I also make custom-designed makeup products for gifts, dance teams, holidays and more.”

Audus’ mission within her makeup brand is to represent and offer services to all. She also encourages using makeup as a tool of creative expression for each client, while making individuals feel comfortable and beautiful in their own skin.

“Because I am a part of the queer community, it’s really important to me to listen to my queer customers,” said Audus. “Makeup tends to be a very gendered industry. With JessiLex Makeup, I try to counteract that by being as inclusive as possible. I want to show people that expressing yourself through makeup while using products that are good for you is not limited to one gender.” 

Check out @jessilexmakeup on Instagram and https://www.jessilex.com/makeup for more.

Gina Smith – Graphic Design Artist

Gina Smith – Graphic Design Artist

Nineteen-year-old Gina Smith takes pop art to a new level with her detailed and vibrant designs. As a Norman local, Smith spent two years at the Moore Norman Technology center studying graphic design, and was recently accepted into the Visual Communications Program at the University of Oklahoma. With a talent for portraits of herself along with friends and family, Smith spends most of her time developing her ideas within her work while going with the flow.

“For digital illustrations, I have a list of concepts I want to do, and when I’m feeling inspired, I’ll sketch it out, color it, outline, shade and render the piece usually within one to two days. For graphic design, depending on the concept, I create some sketches, but most of the time I just figure it out as I go.”

As a young artist, Smith enjoys playing around with different mediums and subject material while adding her own personal touches. 

“I really like pop art at the moment, and I enjoy using bright colors to see which ones complement or contrast each other, like Andy Warhol,” said Smith. “I just like drawing and having fun. My kind of style is definitely more on the cartoon end. I’ve always been a pretty artistic person, but I found digital art around 12 years old. At the time, I didn’t have a tablet or any other technology for digital art, so I just used a mouse. Nowadays, I work with my iPad or the Photoshop software I have on my computer, where I developed my art style that strays from realism.”

Check out @cornymoths on Instagram for more. 

 

Jon Edmund – Musician

Jon Edmund – Musician

Jon Edmund’s rise in the music industry began when he was a backup singer and drummer for the band Supersonic Love Club, which eventually took off and formed into ONE TWO TEN–a group that successfully blended pop and rock melodies. Edmund jump-started his solo career after years of enthusiastically studying all areas of music. 

“Supersonic Love Club’s shows were mostly three hours long, where we performed at events, parties, charities and more,” said Edmund. “We took just about any opportunity to perform. For me, this was all about getting experience. This cover band eventually morphed into the pop/rock band ONE TWO TEN that still exists today. With my solo career after the band, I stood out just by saying yes to every opportunity that has been presented. Then, I’m busy trying to create opportunities for myself.”

Edmund has already been seen on big stages, such as the Zoo Amphitheater, performing at KATTfest alongside musicians such as Marilyn Manson, Bad Wolves, Candlebox and more. Despite having his on-stage performances down to a tee, Edmund strives to expand his understanding of the music industry. He has already served as a drum instructor, a live sound engineer, a writer and a studio engineer.

“I just enjoy being a student of the music industry,” said Edmund. “Currently, my dream is to be a writer and producer/engineer in the music industry.”

Edmund’s first single, “Something Felt Different,” came out on March 4, and his second, “Country Girl Swing,” will be released on April 8. This summer, look out for his three-song EP, Southern Gentleman, which will be out in June.

Visit https://linktr.ee/jonedmundmusic and @jonedmundmusic on Instagram for more.