Art Student Creates Conceptual Drawings for Larger-Than-Life Scenes in "The Nutcracker"
Jessica Purkerson stands next to one of her conceptual watercolor designs for "The Nutcracker." Enormous candies and cupcakes. Giant snow-covered trees against a midnight sky. Life-sized fireplaces and chilly windows. These are just a few of the scenes created by LBCC art student Jessica Purkerson for Legacy Ballet’s upcoming performance of “The Nutcracker." Purkerson created the scenes after a request from theater manager Leslie Hammond. She had also helped create the large paper cutout masks used in last spring's children's play. This time, the challenge for Purkerson was to create scenes that would transfer well to a large backdrop. Purkerson was awestruck to see her conceptual 11-by-22 inch watercolors turned into 22-by-44 foot backdrops for the show. “It was so cool to see my paintings hanging from the ceiling,” Purkerson said of her watercolors, which hang in waiting in the Russell Tripp Performance Center in Takena Hall. Amy Larink, a sce...