Introduction & Art Portoflio- Josue D. Contreras

Great Wall of China (left Finn, right Josue D. Contreras)

Hola! My name is Josue Contreras and I was born and raised in Quito, Ecuador. Currently I’m a Junior pursuing a double major in Robotics and Electrical & Computer Engineering with a focus in embedded systems and software engineering. I have written programs and taken classes in C/C++, Arduino, Verilog, Java, Python, and MatLab. Throughout my college career I have programed Arduino boards (Nano’s, Uno’s, and Mega’s), the Texas Instrument’s MSP430, the Nucleo Board, and the Artix 7 FPGA. Currently, I am focusing on Python and ROS for my robotics class. As an RBE and ECE double major I enjoy bridging the gap between the physical and digital world through sensors, integrated circuits, and code.

Robotics Class Cinematic Video

My passion for art started with my need to express my creative juices. In middle school, I attend an art summer camp where I was exposed to various forms of art (foam, abstract, acrylic, watercolor, etc.) After some sketches during class periods, I decided to take an advanced art course in my senior year of high school. In this class I was able to take a deeper look into pencil drawings, watercolor, pastels, ink, and acrylic. After graduating and coming to WPI I realized I could take advantage of the humanities depth to pursue my passion for the various forms that art can take. I took Essentials of Art, 3D Modeling I, and Figuring Drawing. Now I’m here in Light Art, ready to combine my passion for both art and electronics.

Other creative arts that I like to practice are cinematography and photography. I have experience editing videos in Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects, Sony Vegas, and iMovie. This art form allows me to create a story, immerse my target audience, and get a reaction. I also, enjoy the processes of video making that includes brainstorming, scripting, filming, editing, and displaying it through various means. The following videos are some that I have collaborated with someone or made myself:

Culture Shock Video for WPI’ s International Student Orientation Week
2017 Ecuador trip to Quilotoa Lake and Cotopaxi Volcano
2018 Ecuador trip to Mompiche Beach
Zombie and Ghost Video
A Little Vlog Showing me working on an art piece for Figure Drawing

For photography, I have experimented with low light and people photography. The editing software I am familiar with is Photoshop, Lightroom, and InDesign. Since I enjoy video making and photography, I am excited to create an epic video and photos for the final project in this class!

I was recently inspired on my trip to Washington DC where I got to experience various art forms in museums. I was particularly fascinated by the Rafael Lozano-Hemmer: Pulse exhibit in the Hirshhorn Museum. The way he used the audiences heartbeat and created an unforgettable interactive experience inspired me since I am into electronics and art. Art pieces like this remind me of how art can be immersive in many forms.

Beijing, China

As I have seen, art fits into my goals since I am able to
express my creative thoughts by combining my academic majors and my art experience. This gives me a way to not only express myself, but enjoy the satisfaction of creating and displaying the final art piece.

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