Thursday, June 18, 2020
Leticia Sánchez Toledo is a painter and graphic designer based in Miami with roots in Spain and Cuba. In her work, Leticia creates narratives that are both compelling and mysterious - often leaving the viewer feeling as if they're glimpsing a moment frozen in time. These cinematic paintings often suggest a larger, overarching storyline is unfolding without revealing the plot line at hand. Her characters - usually immersed in a dramatically lit landscape - possess a dreamlike quality, blurring the line between real and imaginary. In this interview, Leticia discusses the inspiration behind her work as well as her approach to painting.
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Hi Leticia! Tell me about your background and where your creative journey began.
I have painted for a lifetime, but I started to take it more seriously when I finished my graphic design studies. At that moment I started to try acrylic and oil for the first time.
Many of your paintings have a cinematic quality and sense of mystery, as though you’re capturing a story that’s unfolding. Can you tell me a bit about the narratives you create in your work?
My objective is to arrive at the same representational intentionality through different paths: to capture the dramatic energy contained in a cinematographic plane, and to manage to express that inaccessible content with the potential of the painting medium.
What is just a fleeting moment, imperceptible to the human eye, unable to apprehend all the wealth of information, all the visual subtleties that make it up, painting is capable of turning it into a resounding presence, a presence given to contemplation.
What does a typical day in the studio look like for you, and how has your art practice evolved over time?
Painting is a habit for me, I work every day, sometimes I take a break and that's when I take time to look for new ideas and study, but my mind is always focused on my work. I am very interested in evolving and I do not like recipes that pigeonhole me in a style, I like to challenge myself and always experiment, look for new solutions that make me grow as an artist.
How has your experience in graphic design influenced your paintings?
Studying design has been very supportive for me, and I think it has influenced me in a positive way because it has made me analyze the image from a different perspective, relying on digital media to reach the final solution.
What are some of your proudest moments as an artist so far?
I consider myself an emerging artist, but I am proud of what I do, because I adore my profession every minute and I enjoy it. Being able to complete a personal project is very gratifying to see all the pieces coexisting in a space.
How has Instagram impacted your career as an artist?
It has been very positive, it did not take long but it is great in many ways because it is a way to promote my art and reach more interested people.
Where do you hope to see your work in 5 years?
I would like to see my work in Museums, galleries, books, etc.
I have painted for a lifetime, but I started to take it more seriously when I finished my graphic design studies. At that moment I started to try acrylic and oil for the first time.
Many of your paintings have a cinematic quality and sense of mystery, as though you’re capturing a story that’s unfolding. Can you tell me a bit about the narratives you create in your work?
My objective is to arrive at the same representational intentionality through different paths: to capture the dramatic energy contained in a cinematographic plane, and to manage to express that inaccessible content with the potential of the painting medium.
What is just a fleeting moment, imperceptible to the human eye, unable to apprehend all the wealth of information, all the visual subtleties that make it up, painting is capable of turning it into a resounding presence, a presence given to contemplation.
What does a typical day in the studio look like for you, and how has your art practice evolved over time?
Painting is a habit for me, I work every day, sometimes I take a break and that's when I take time to look for new ideas and study, but my mind is always focused on my work. I am very interested in evolving and I do not like recipes that pigeonhole me in a style, I like to challenge myself and always experiment, look for new solutions that make me grow as an artist.
How has your experience in graphic design influenced your paintings?
Studying design has been very supportive for me, and I think it has influenced me in a positive way because it has made me analyze the image from a different perspective, relying on digital media to reach the final solution.
What are some of your proudest moments as an artist so far?
I consider myself an emerging artist, but I am proud of what I do, because I adore my profession every minute and I enjoy it. Being able to complete a personal project is very gratifying to see all the pieces coexisting in a space.
How has Instagram impacted your career as an artist?
It has been very positive, it did not take long but it is great in many ways because it is a way to promote my art and reach more interested people.
Where do you hope to see your work in 5 years?
I would like to see my work in Museums, galleries, books, etc.
My next interview is with Jasmine Rae, an English painter and art educator. Jasmine is known for her abstract landscapes inspired by her time outdoors in the countryside of Cambridgeshire. Composed of winding pathways, overlapping shapes, vibrant colors and subtle drips, her paintings reference open fields and vast expanses of land - taking the viewer's eye on a journey around the canvas. In this interview, Jasmine discusses her creative process and approach to painting, as well as shares future goals and aspirations as an artist.
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Hi Jasmine! Tell me about your background and where your creative journey began.
I graduated from Loughborough University with a Fine Art Degree in 2016, this is where I fell in love with the landscape and took it as inspiration within my work. After graduating, I continued to create art but I struggled without the studio environment and being surrounded by other artists was a big miss. I worked at an Art Gallery for a time and took great inspiration from exhibiting artists and I tried to learn as much as I could during this period; from packaging work, framing, marketing, hanging and curating. This led me to join a collaborative non-profit gallery with other artists, which pushed me to start exhibiting and selling. Most recently, I have taken the plunge into teaching and love being an art teacher in a secondary school inspiring young people and alongside this my own art has become a greater passion than it ever was before. I think my journey has always stemmed from other creatives, especially within education and having amazing teachers. I have always aspired to do the same for others but I have realised it is my students who inspire me.
How have your paintings evolved over time?
It did all start at University at my degree show. I would strip back the landscape and look at only shapes, not colour. It was the lines that took my eye through the landscape and composition of space that inspired me. I think that over time I have now considered and understood this drive and have added colour to accompany the journey the eye takes around the landscape.
Where do you find inspiration for your paintings, and how do your surroundings influence the work you create?
Inspiration for my paintings has always been rooted to the feeling when you are stood in an expansive landscape and as you look into the distance all you see is the land pushed back until it hits the sky. My surroundings influence the work and this has been through my walks and bike rides - I take in the surrounding countryside where I live in Cambridgeshire. I often take the feeling I had on those walks and go straight to the studio to work but often colour palettes are inspired by my mood and even magazine clippings, graphics, room sets/decor as well as nature.
Can you tell me about your process and technique?
The start of my paintings always begin with note taking and drawing in my sketchbook. After a walk or light bulb moment in the studio, I write down words and feelings I want for the painting or collection and paint rough colour ideas. Once ideas are planted and painting begins, I use large brushes for quick washes of colour, until slowly a landscape reveals itself, I will push and pull the paint and layer until I am happy. I work with acrylic paint, gouache, inks, watercolour pencils and water-soluble wax crayons. This combination allows me to layer colours and pathways until I get the feeling I did from my walk/location/inspiration. As mentioned, I start with larger brushes and work my way down to smaller brushes for the details. Sometimes I can work on my paintings until they’re nearly complete but if the ‘feeling’ isn’t there, I will take them back by painting over some areas with a large brush and starting the process again.
Which artists have influenced your work?
David Hockney, Mark Rothko, Howard Hodgkin, Gerhard Richter. Artists through Instagram: Alice Sheridan, Louise Fletcher, Maryanne Hawes, Lucy Davies, Josh Jenson, Melanie Cormack - to name some!
When did you join Instagram, and how has it impacted you as an artist?
I joined instagram in 2015 and have been slowly growing my journey on there. At first I was obsessed with numbers and it would get me down if I didn’t achieve what I thought I should with likes and follows. I took a break for a year or so and have come back to it with the intention that it is a document for me to use and look back through and connect with other artists. Now I have taken a more relaxed approach, the support has been amazing, just connecting with other creative people has given me the feeling I had at university. It really is its own community, I’ve learnt to not worry about engagement and if I am enjoying what I am doing, others will too.
What are your future goals and aspirations for your art career?
Currently, I am building on my new style that I have adapted as of 2020. I would like to build a collection for a future exhibition, maybe next year? this might entail working hard over summer to get the work done but this excites me. This is as far ahead as I’m thinking, especially with the current situation but I am so thankful to have this creative outlet during this time.
I graduated from Loughborough University with a Fine Art Degree in 2016, this is where I fell in love with the landscape and took it as inspiration within my work. After graduating, I continued to create art but I struggled without the studio environment and being surrounded by other artists was a big miss. I worked at an Art Gallery for a time and took great inspiration from exhibiting artists and I tried to learn as much as I could during this period; from packaging work, framing, marketing, hanging and curating. This led me to join a collaborative non-profit gallery with other artists, which pushed me to start exhibiting and selling. Most recently, I have taken the plunge into teaching and love being an art teacher in a secondary school inspiring young people and alongside this my own art has become a greater passion than it ever was before. I think my journey has always stemmed from other creatives, especially within education and having amazing teachers. I have always aspired to do the same for others but I have realised it is my students who inspire me.
How have your paintings evolved over time?
It did all start at University at my degree show. I would strip back the landscape and look at only shapes, not colour. It was the lines that took my eye through the landscape and composition of space that inspired me. I think that over time I have now considered and understood this drive and have added colour to accompany the journey the eye takes around the landscape.
Where do you find inspiration for your paintings, and how do your surroundings influence the work you create?
Inspiration for my paintings has always been rooted to the feeling when you are stood in an expansive landscape and as you look into the distance all you see is the land pushed back until it hits the sky. My surroundings influence the work and this has been through my walks and bike rides - I take in the surrounding countryside where I live in Cambridgeshire. I often take the feeling I had on those walks and go straight to the studio to work but often colour palettes are inspired by my mood and even magazine clippings, graphics, room sets/decor as well as nature.
Can you tell me about your process and technique?
The start of my paintings always begin with note taking and drawing in my sketchbook. After a walk or light bulb moment in the studio, I write down words and feelings I want for the painting or collection and paint rough colour ideas. Once ideas are planted and painting begins, I use large brushes for quick washes of colour, until slowly a landscape reveals itself, I will push and pull the paint and layer until I am happy. I work with acrylic paint, gouache, inks, watercolour pencils and water-soluble wax crayons. This combination allows me to layer colours and pathways until I get the feeling I did from my walk/location/inspiration. As mentioned, I start with larger brushes and work my way down to smaller brushes for the details. Sometimes I can work on my paintings until they’re nearly complete but if the ‘feeling’ isn’t there, I will take them back by painting over some areas with a large brush and starting the process again.
Which artists have influenced your work?
David Hockney, Mark Rothko, Howard Hodgkin, Gerhard Richter. Artists through Instagram: Alice Sheridan, Louise Fletcher, Maryanne Hawes, Lucy Davies, Josh Jenson, Melanie Cormack - to name some!
When did you join Instagram, and how has it impacted you as an artist?
I joined instagram in 2015 and have been slowly growing my journey on there. At first I was obsessed with numbers and it would get me down if I didn’t achieve what I thought I should with likes and follows. I took a break for a year or so and have come back to it with the intention that it is a document for me to use and look back through and connect with other artists. Now I have taken a more relaxed approach, the support has been amazing, just connecting with other creative people has given me the feeling I had at university. It really is its own community, I’ve learnt to not worry about engagement and if I am enjoying what I am doing, others will too.
What are your future goals and aspirations for your art career?
Currently, I am building on my new style that I have adapted as of 2020. I would like to build a collection for a future exhibition, maybe next year? this might entail working hard over summer to get the work done but this excites me. This is as far ahead as I’m thinking, especially with the current situation but I am so thankful to have this creative outlet during this time.
Tuesday, June 9, 2020
In this interview, I chat with Canadian artist Michael Brennan about his journey as a plein air painter. With a love of painting and the great outdoors, Michael quickly became hooked on painting outside from real life observation, immersed in the natural landscape. In this interview, Michael discusses the inspiration he finds in 19th century paintings, as well as the evolution of his work from a digital artist to renowned landscape painter.
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Tell me about your background and where your creative journey began.
I was born in Canada and lived in a few different cities throughout Southern Ontario over my life, most moves were because of school or job opportunities.
I have always been inspired to create art in one form or another because of the influence of family. As a child I was surrounded by the art of my grandfather and uncle - they created everything from pottery decorated like the ancient Greeks or Egyptians to sculptures in marble, clay and bronze, tomahawks like that of the Native Americans to finely rendered drawings and paintings… as a child seeing adults take art this seriously meant it wasn’t just a play time thing but a possible livelihood. Most importantly seeing such passion for a craft made me think even if I never became an artist I knew I would have to find my own passion for things to give life it’s meaning.
What led you to focus on landscape painting?
About four years ago I started to take a more critical look at my paintings, comparing them to artists I looked up to.
I realized most of my favourite artists worked from life. There is a special quality and spontaneity that comes from that.
So I decided to keep a practice to work my way up to outdoor painting, starting with sketching, watercolours then finally taking a workshop in plein air oil painting. After this I was hooked, not only was it a fun challenge to paint from life but it gave me an excuse to spend more time outdoors and in nature, something I love to do when I’m not making art.
Your paintings are often created outside from real-life observations. What do you enjoy about plein air painting, and what are some challenges you experience when working outdoors?
I really enjoy having an excuse to get outside. Growing up I took on many freelance gigs making digital art and animations with tight deadlines, often working late into evenings. I remember many beautiful summer months spent inside in front of a computer instead of under the stars.
Painting on location has so many challenges, but can be so gratifying when you're able to pull it off, you have the elements to contend with, wind, rain, cold, heat, insects, the other thing is learning to either paint fast enough to deal with changing lighting conditions or learning to paint from memory when your subject drives off or walks away.
Do you have a favorite place to paint, and if so, why?
I can’t say I have one favourite place to paint but I do tend to go back to the same spots because they are convenient
and I know my way around. I am naturally drawn to secluded nature trails because I like to get away from crowds of people, partially because I’m an introvert and enjoy spending my time painting in silence or while listening to music. Also I’m looking for those landscapes that give one a sense of awe and wonder.
How has your process evolved over the years?
I feel like I have developed a painting approach for myself.. like a method to fall back onto if I’m not sure what
to do next. But that can change at times. What changes most often is my colour palette - I like to use a limited palette of 4 colours because I find there is something beautiful about it’s simplicity, as to what those four colours are will be different from year to year. As time passes I do feel like I’m becoming looser and more spontaneous with my painting.
Which artists have influenced your work?
Probably all 19th century artists, I do have my favourites like Sorolla, Ilya Repin and Monet but almost every week I’m discovering an artist that was alive during the 19th century that blows my mind, it’s boggling to think of the talent that came out of that era, no other period in art history inspires me as much.
When did you join Instagram, and how has it impacted your art career?
I started using Instagram in late 2014. In 2010 I started seriously getting back into fine art painting so it made sense to use an app like instagram to share and catalog my art. Then when I got into plein air painting Instagram became the main method for documenting my paintings, it’s become a way of tracking time for me, helping me recall a time of year when I painted something or what the season was like on such and such a date. And of course finding friends and inspiration.
I can’t say that I have made a lot of sales directly through Instagram, but it has provided me with many opportunities indirectly.
What is your greatest accomplishment as an artist so far?
I am most proud of having my work purchased by the Mayor of Brampton (the city I live in) which was presented to the Ooni of Ife (The Nigerian Monarch) during his visit to the city this past year.
Also seeing that people enjoy looking at my work is rewarding.
Where do you hope to see yourself and your work in 5 years?
I would like to find more ways to combine and intersect my interests, like I did when finding plein air painting merged my love of art and the outdoors, not that all areas in our life need to merge in that way but sometimes I do think it would be interesting to find more ways to combine my love of philosophy with art, or my plein air practice with studio paintings. Possibly more projects where I take smaller plein air paintings and work them into larger studio paintings.
I was born in Canada and lived in a few different cities throughout Southern Ontario over my life, most moves were because of school or job opportunities.
I have always been inspired to create art in one form or another because of the influence of family. As a child I was surrounded by the art of my grandfather and uncle - they created everything from pottery decorated like the ancient Greeks or Egyptians to sculptures in marble, clay and bronze, tomahawks like that of the Native Americans to finely rendered drawings and paintings… as a child seeing adults take art this seriously meant it wasn’t just a play time thing but a possible livelihood. Most importantly seeing such passion for a craft made me think even if I never became an artist I knew I would have to find my own passion for things to give life it’s meaning.
What led you to focus on landscape painting?
About four years ago I started to take a more critical look at my paintings, comparing them to artists I looked up to.
I realized most of my favourite artists worked from life. There is a special quality and spontaneity that comes from that.
So I decided to keep a practice to work my way up to outdoor painting, starting with sketching, watercolours then finally taking a workshop in plein air oil painting. After this I was hooked, not only was it a fun challenge to paint from life but it gave me an excuse to spend more time outdoors and in nature, something I love to do when I’m not making art.
Your paintings are often created outside from real-life observations. What do you enjoy about plein air painting, and what are some challenges you experience when working outdoors?
I really enjoy having an excuse to get outside. Growing up I took on many freelance gigs making digital art and animations with tight deadlines, often working late into evenings. I remember many beautiful summer months spent inside in front of a computer instead of under the stars.
Painting on location has so many challenges, but can be so gratifying when you're able to pull it off, you have the elements to contend with, wind, rain, cold, heat, insects, the other thing is learning to either paint fast enough to deal with changing lighting conditions or learning to paint from memory when your subject drives off or walks away.
Do you have a favorite place to paint, and if so, why?
I can’t say I have one favourite place to paint but I do tend to go back to the same spots because they are convenient
and I know my way around. I am naturally drawn to secluded nature trails because I like to get away from crowds of people, partially because I’m an introvert and enjoy spending my time painting in silence or while listening to music. Also I’m looking for those landscapes that give one a sense of awe and wonder.
How has your process evolved over the years?
I feel like I have developed a painting approach for myself.. like a method to fall back onto if I’m not sure what
to do next. But that can change at times. What changes most often is my colour palette - I like to use a limited palette of 4 colours because I find there is something beautiful about it’s simplicity, as to what those four colours are will be different from year to year. As time passes I do feel like I’m becoming looser and more spontaneous with my painting.
Which artists have influenced your work?
Probably all 19th century artists, I do have my favourites like Sorolla, Ilya Repin and Monet but almost every week I’m discovering an artist that was alive during the 19th century that blows my mind, it’s boggling to think of the talent that came out of that era, no other period in art history inspires me as much.
When did you join Instagram, and how has it impacted your art career?
I started using Instagram in late 2014. In 2010 I started seriously getting back into fine art painting so it made sense to use an app like instagram to share and catalog my art. Then when I got into plein air painting Instagram became the main method for documenting my paintings, it’s become a way of tracking time for me, helping me recall a time of year when I painted something or what the season was like on such and such a date. And of course finding friends and inspiration.
I can’t say that I have made a lot of sales directly through Instagram, but it has provided me with many opportunities indirectly.
What is your greatest accomplishment as an artist so far?
I am most proud of having my work purchased by the Mayor of Brampton (the city I live in) which was presented to the Ooni of Ife (The Nigerian Monarch) during his visit to the city this past year.
Also seeing that people enjoy looking at my work is rewarding.
Where do you hope to see yourself and your work in 5 years?
I would like to find more ways to combine and intersect my interests, like I did when finding plein air painting merged my love of art and the outdoors, not that all areas in our life need to merge in that way but sometimes I do think it would be interesting to find more ways to combine my love of philosophy with art, or my plein air practice with studio paintings. Possibly more projects where I take smaller plein air paintings and work them into larger studio paintings.
Sunday, May 31, 2020
In this interview I chat with watercolor painter Dolores Phelps, based in The Forest of Dean, England. Dolores creates vivid, abstract landscapes inspired by the English countryside. She considers nature to be her starting point - open fields, rolling hills, and majestic forests serve as inspiration for her dynamic compositions. From bright pops of color to accidental marks, blurred lines, and areas where multiple colors bleed into each other, Dolores's stunning watercolors celebrate and embrace the creative process.
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Hi Dolores! Tell me about your background and where your creative journey began.
I’m from west London originally, with bohemian parentage about which I could write a book, but no room here! I have been creating art since childhood in the 1960s and always said ‘when I grow up I will be a famous artist’. I went to art school as soon as I could, at 16 – perhaps too young! and after a two year foundation course defied my tutors, who advised I study fine art, to enroll in a graphic arts degree. I didn’t much like the idea of the elitist art market, and liked popular culture and music - I also loved the graphic posters of Abram Games and A M Cassandre, so I thought I could design record sleeves and book jackets for a living! After graduating, I got some magazine design jobs but wasn’t very happy, so I became an illustrator. I was very happy and successful at this during the 80s - there was a boom in illustration at the time, but this fell off around the turn of the 90s with a financial crash in the UK. I moved to the Forest of Dean where my husband was born, started a family and have been teaching art, design and illustration part-time ever since. I started painting in watercolours around 2006, feeling that I wanted to create a more meaningful and lasting body of work that would perhaps fulfill my childhood ambition of becoming a painter at last.
What led you to focus on landscape painting?
I am incredibly lucky to live in not only a beautiful forest, but within a short distance of the mountain ranges of South Wales, the Malvern Hills, the Wye Valley and I have relatives that have a farm on Bodmin Moor in Cornwall.
Wherever I find myself, I am in the midst of a beautiful landscape. I love responding to the hills and trees in an abstract way and developing the endless colour and texture shifts of what is before me into strong, dynamic compositions.
Your paintings verge on abstraction, while still referencing familiar places: forests, open fields, and rolling hills. How did you arrive at your current painting style?
I am an aspiring abstract painter, but I need to have a starting point; that’s why the hashtag “abstractlandscape” is one of the ones I use most often. I can’t say I have arrived anywhere exactly yet stylistically! When I paint, I want to focus on the gestural, the flow, and let the painting ‘paint itself’ so to speak. I love the work of Paul Jenkins, an Abstract Expressionist painter of the 1960s, and would love to be able to throw the paint across larger surfaces. So I guess my focus is to be intuitive, and allow accidents to happen, lose control in order to regain it, and continually try new things; but there always has to be an inspiration from nature.
Many of your paintings are composed of bright, vivid colors. Can you tell me about your color palette and the role it plays in your work?
Many of your paintings are composed of bright, vivid colors. Can you tell me about your color palette and the role it plays in your work?
I just love colour and find it impossible not to use extremely bright colours such as Opera Rose and pure cobalt blue even in an autumn scene! I try to discipline myself and use limited palettes, but usually end up adding colours until there is a rainbow on the paper. When I can control myself, my go-to colour has to be Indigo. The range and depth of that colour is all you need to create beautiful images, and I always use it when painting outdoors as a tonal base; hills, clouds, sea – it does everything!
I have the great good fortune to have been gifted a large number of watercolour paints made at the old Winsor and Newton factory in Harrow, north-west London before it was sadly closed down. These colours are my joy and I could spend hours experimenting with different mixtures and testing them on little cards and strips of paper. I especially like mixing in extra gum arabic or some clay powder which changes the texture, sheen or graininess of the watercolour. Lately I have been obsessed with Winsor Blue Green Shade – a marvellous blue for skies – and mixing maroons and greys that have fringes of colour when they dry. Quinacridone Gold and Opera Rose are wonderful mixers because they separate out on the paper when mixed with, say, Cerulean blue. I could go on…
How has your art practice evolved over the years?
I think I am a bit of a slow learner when it come to my ambitions to be more abstract in my work. I tend to go through phases where it becomes more representational - especially when painting trees, they are extremely hard to make abstractions from - but I really think it is due to the fact that I have up until now been pursuing different strands of my art career as a teacher, academic and illustrator. It is probably the worst time to do this, with the world in a very uncertain state and a severe recession forecast, but I am going to give up my academic teaching job and illustration practice and focus solely on my art. I’m sure this will help me find my mature style as I will be able to focus on where my art needs to go. I feel I am very much, still a beginner, but I’m sure I will always feel like this – it is a journey.
Do you paint outdoors, from photographs, or a combination of both?
Don’t get me started on photographs! David Hockney used photographs for much of his life, but then completely gave them up. I take many photos, as things like beautiful cloudscapes and sunsets need to be captured, but I never work from photos directly. I used to, and I still have some larger works from a few years ago that were based on photo reference, but I’m not so keen on them. I find they don’t have the freedom of expression that I am after. My recent cloudscapes are now invented, as are most of my landscapes, they are designed to be evocations rather than copies. It means that I can’t always paint accurate and recognisable local scenes that may sell well, but I’m hoping that if my work evokes a place that is familiar to the beholder, that will work out - and in fact, someone recently bought a red mountain scene as it reminded them of the hill behind their house…in the USA!
I sketch outdoors whenever I can. It’s so important to practice where the sensory input is direct and you are able to tune in to the colours and textures which a photograph cannot capture. Although I’m terribly short-sighted I am lucky enough to have more colour receptors in my eyes than any camera. I know this because any photographs I take simply do not show the colours I see! I use the sketches to inspire studio works and also help me stay loose.
When did you join Instagram, and how has it impacted your art career?
My first post was in May 2018, and in that time I have organically grown my following to 12.5k. At the beginning I didn’t know what to do but a few people really helped me - liked every one of my posts right from the beginning, commented on them and encouraged me. (I’d like to shout out especially to @gambrell_ and @dahrendavey – you guys are the BEST!) I learned to do milestone giveaways and other things to boost followers, and I was lucky enough to be featured on @best_watercolors about a year ago which gave me an enormous boost. It’s such a supportive community, I have never had a negative comment, trolls seem almost unknown on the platform. At this moment in time, before I get my website going, this and my Facebook page, which I am terrible at keeping up (as I don’t get on with Facebook at all!) are my only online presence so it is very important to me. Instagram helps me so much – I can review all my work in chronological order, it’s like a visual journal and portfolio in one, get feedback on what works and what doesn’t. I’m also posting work under the #artsupportpledge hashtag – this is an amazing and successful initiative instigated by @matthewburrowsstudio to help artists support each other.
What is your greatest accomplishment as an artist thus far, and what are your future goals and aspirations?
Though I’ve been painting landscapes for over fourteen years I feel I am only now approaching a rough idea of where I want to be. I’ve had a couple of solo shows, and I used to exhibit and sell in local cafes and venues, but I decided in 2018 to devote myself to the online marketing of my art. My most encouraging achievement is having built up my Instagram following and being able to read the supportive comments and feedback on my work from all the wonderful people who care about what I do. It’s so nice to look at it every day, especially if my confidence is at a low! I’ve made contacts and sold paintings directly from IG, and I love to answer questions and give advice to anyone who wants it.
My main priority right now is to commit 100% to my art practice. This will also involve creating a more convincing online presence, with a website and email list. It seems my supporters and followers would like to see me provide more online tutorials and demonstrations, this is something I also need to focus on and I’m really excited about the future possibilities of this.
Of course my number one goal is to be able to support myself and my practice through my art. I’m a long way off that right now but it is essential for me to become a self-funded, professional artist if I am to continue for any significant time in the future. Wish me luck!
Friday, May 29, 2020
My next interview is with REWA, a self-taught painter based in Nigeria and London. REWA is known for creating Igbo Vernacular Art; paintings that explore and celebrate the Igbo culture of Nigeria. REWA's vibrant portraits depict the women of Igboland as they experience varying roles in society and shifts in power throughout their lifetime. In her work, REWA creates female-centered narratives that serve as an exploration into all aspects of Igbo culture: from rites of passage to marital ceremonies and sacred rituals. After returning to Nigeria from London, REWA dedicated herself to learning about the Onitsha people and seeks to educate others about the rich history, traditions and beliefs of the Igbo culture.
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.Hi Rewa! Tell me about your background and where your creative journey began.
I am a self-taught visual artist, born and raised between Nigeria and England and received a BSc. in Physiology and Pharmacology from University College London (UCL). I go between London and Lagos where I live with my husband, our perfect baby boy and our English cocker spaniel – she’s a pain in the proverbial.
Formally, my creative journey began in 2016 when I was living in Johannesburg but informally, it began much earlier than that. I’ve always had a relationship with art. Growing up, my father encouraged my creative drive and his expansive art collection from West Africa provided further impetus for my development. I’ve always doodled and sketched but it wasn’t until 2016 that I truly discovered my artistic style and began to create consistently and in earnest.
How has your art practice shifted or evolved over the last few years?
Since I began painting, I have become a lot more confident in my style and output. I started off with smaller portraits on paper using watercolour pencils. I have since graduated to figurative art using acrylic paints on ever-growing canvases. I have also become very clear on the direction of my work and the messaging I want to convey. When I began painting, I was fine with designating my paintings with the Contemporary African Art label. However, I have since chosen to label my works as Igbo Vernacular Art. The reason for this is that I believe that I have created a truly original body of work that exists outside formal academic or Western dialogue. My art is drawn from life itself and deeply anchored in a place and culture from which it was derived. This is the Igbo culture pertaining to the Igbos of Nigeria.
Your work explores the culture, history and beliefs of the Onitsha people of Igboland. What led you to study and depict this particular culture, and what do you hope viewers will take away from your work?
At risk of sounding pedestrian, my art is drawn from life itself and deeply anchored in the place and culture from which it was derived, that is, the culture of the Igbos of Nigeria. For context, the Igbos are one of the three major tribes of Nigeria and comprise the largest group of people living in south-eastern region of the country.
I spent my formative years in England, raised with my biracial mother and white grandmother. I only returned to Nigeria in 2016 and began learning about my heritage in earnest. So with my art, it was very important to me to draw on elements of cultural awareness and audience education with my work because I didn’t just want to create art for art’s sake. It is my hope that one day, my work will be included in art historical dialogue about Africa, beyond the confines of the wide-reaching Contemporary African Art designation, therefore, edification plays a huge role in my narrative.
This was very prevalent in my series, INU NWUNYE: Bride Price.
This series showcased a young woman’s passage from INYO-UNO – the knocking / introduction ceremony which heralds a betrothal, IBUNABAITE – the bride’s primary visit to her fiancé’s home, URI – eight days spent with the bridegroom’s family where she is assessed as a worthy potential housewife, through to IGO MUO and INU-MMANYA – the marriage and (palm) wine-carrying ceremony.
Many of these traditions, mainly the IBUNABAITE and URI aspects, have since died out as cultural customs faded to the pervasive western systems.
Having recently undergone both traditional and white (western) marriage ceremonies myself, I was keen to depict and highlight the now obsolete marital practices of the Igbo culture. In this way, I educate an audience and in the process, educate myself.
How a culture survives depends on its people’s capacity to learn and transmit it to succeeding generations. Post-colonialism, we imported Western practices and customs. Through my art, I would like to provide viewers with an understanding of who we are as a people, educate about our rich legacy and educate a wider audience on the symbolic practices of our forebears before it is lost entirely.
In your series, "The Pantheon," you portray female deities from the tribes of Nigeria. Can you tell me about the goddesses in this series, and what inspired you to create this collection?
I thoroughly enjoyed this series and showcasing the various female goddesses. I think it is a great pity that we glorify Thor but vilify Sango and Amadioha – his African counterparts. We all know of Aphrodite and Artemis but hardly anything is known of Yemoja, Osun or Ala / Ani. In West Africa, we have a tendency to reject and denigrate our own deities, saying they are evil and using the term ‘juju’ in a disparaging way. However, those of the west are perfectly accepted and even hallowed in popular culture and literature. I created The Pantheon as a way to change this narrative. I felt that if I portrayed our goddesses as beautiful, colourful and inviting, viewers would be more interested in learning about our own deities and they would see that there is nothing evil about them, they aren’t associated with black magic or any such folly. They are much like those of the west, just with different names. They are the gods of our ancestors and existed and worshipped long before the existence of Christ was known amongst our people
When did you join Instagram, and how has it impacted you as an artist?
In a major, major way. I joined Instagram in April 2016. Instagram has sustained my art career to a large extent. It has provided visibility to collectors, fans (I hope this doesn’t come across as arrogant!), galleries and provided me with some fantastic opportunities. ReLe Gallery and the Gallery of African Art (GAFRA) both discovered me through Instagram. I got chosen for the Nike campaign that I worked on last year, via Instragram. I am utilizing social media a lot more than I previously did, fostering new relationships electronically, discovering new artists and exciting collections as some galleries move their exhibitions online.
With the current coronavirus crisis, a lot of artists, galleries and other such institutions are rethinking curation, displays and the way exhibitions are held going forward and social media will become a critical part of everyone’s agenda.
What are you working on at the moment?
A new body of work called Umu Ada. The ideology of Umu Ada was created by tradition during the pre-colonial era where women were held sacred and they participated in collective decision making on political, legal and social issues. Long before the colonial masters arrived in Africa, during and after colonialism, women had been a vital cog within the Igbo society. Their involvement and representation in this process was primarily done through the Umu Ada .The Umu Ada are defined as the powerful daughters in Igbo culture. Umu Ada means native daughters of common male ancestors or “daughters of the soil’. Umu Ada is also collective term for all first daughters.
My proposed exhibition will highlight and acknowledge the various roles that the Umu Ada play in the political, economic, religious and social life of the societies within which they operate despite their limited access to resources and paternalistic domination.
I am very excited by this collection as it is challenging me on a number of levels. Needless to say – watch this space!
Tuesday, May 26, 2020
My next interview is with collage artist Elyse Jokinen, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Elyse creates visually stunning collages inspired by her own experiences, memories, and travels. She channels feminine energy and the flora and fauna of the natural world to design a wide range of compositions, often paired with uplifting quotes and phrases, such as "You're Not Lost, You're Here." From delving into photography almost four years ago to creating powerful images from cut-outs, Elyse remains dedicated to exploring the world of collage and all that it has to offer.
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Hi Elyse! Tell me about your background and where your creative journey began.
I come from a family of humble creatives and I've been multi-passionately artistic for as long as I can remember. I'm a documenter and collector by nature and I still remember the first collage I made on my black composition journal in grade school. My early days consisted of a lot of writing, collage, lettering and doodling. It wasn't until the past four years that I've really allowed myself to explore what it means to be an artist.
I grew up out in the country of northern Minnesota and was fortunate to travel a lot throughout my life. I feel like that creative spark began while on some of those early adventures.
How has your art practice shifted or evolved over the last few years?
The last few years have been pivotal in my art practice. Before then, I didn't have much direction and wasn't consistent -- we all know that's the key! My practice wasn't just in the backseat, it was in the trunk.
When I picked up a DSLR camera almost 4 years ago and began to study light, composition and story I could not have predicted the shift that would take place and lead me to this moment. Now, I create every single day and it's made all the difference.
Taking photographs opened the floodgate to the art world and it moved my art practice from the trunk to the driver's seat. I began reading poetry, writing, getting back into collage and taking all sorts of classes in the arts. The more I learn the more I realize how completely vast it is and I will never get tired of growing within the art space.
Your collages often include figurative elements with vibrant flowers and plants, along with motivational phrases. What impact do you hope to create with your work?
Yes, I love your recognition of that. Honestly, right now, it's all about being able to connect with others through my work. Connection -- it's why we're here, isn't it? When I create a collage, I lay out the weird and the wild from within my head, weaving in deeper meaning. Then I put it out into the world and someone sees it and they get it. Even better, they'll say, "Oh I feel that one". And just like that, in that moment, we're connected. We get each other. It's the craziest, coolest part of this all!
Also, I'm glad my work brings a positive message. Even when I'm not feeling particularly positive, I create looking up. It's so important for me to create that feeling, like attracts like. If you surround yourself in the good vibes, it's going to change how you feel.
Can you tell me about your process for creating a collage, and where you find inspiration?
Ah, yes! I mentioned earlier that I collect and document. I have a lot of notebooks (virgo problems!) and some ideas start there. For the most part though, I begin by sifting through envelopes of cut outs until something sparks. I'll spread it all out, turn on Bruce Springsteen and organize 7-12 collages at a time. Then they sit. Another night I glue, then I add paint, pencil or gold leaf. The next day I save maybe one or two and the rest get chopped up by my kiddos.
For digital it's just about the same. I have a large collection of images I sift through, something sparks and the story unfolds. I break up everything into different days. The finding of the image, the cutting of the image, the placing and arranging and then adding details. I'm always in the mood to do ONE of those things so it's nice to have options.
Inspiration is found in women, light, a life on the road, time, the beauty and fragility of each day, nature (mostly plants and flowers I mean, magic come on!) and always nostalgia. I've been drawing a lot of recent inspiration from vanitas still life paintings, too.
You create collages that are both digital as well as hand-cut. What are the strengths and challenges of both, and do you have a preference?
Hand cut collage is home. It's what I've been doing for almost two decades and there's nothing like turning on some good tunes and getting lost, literally for hours in a pile of books in my living room. The challenge of hand-cutting is the longer chunks of time needed to really get going as well as not always having the perfect image to fit my vision. Oh and there's no undo!
The awesome part is, the benefits of digital fill all the challenges of analog and vice versa.
Digital is amazing because I can work for 20 minutes here, 40 minutes there and really whatever your mind can think up you can find and create. I can cut really intricate pieces and use them over and over. The challenge for me would be that there's a lot of time spent in front of the screen which we all know we don't need more of.
With the advice from Austin Kleon I'm actually working on setting up another desk to mirror my current space for analog work specific. It's a great idea!
I honestly love being able to go between the two and a workspace to reflect that would be everything!
When did you join Instagram, and how has it impacted you as an artist?
I've been on IG since 2011 and I've always loved to share and collect my stories in one space. After having my two boys I made that account private to document everything about them. I launched my art account just last year and really dug in.
The impact has been huge. I feel inspired and challenged constantly. IG is filled to the brim with opportunities and I'm doing my best to take every single one I can get. I've sold work through IG and it's helped me grow my newsletter. The best part is meeting people, people like you Vi!
What are you working on at the moment?
Right now I'm in the beginning stages of a digital collection, WEBS, that will be inspired by Vanitas paintings. Stay tuned! I'm also always developing an ongoing body of analog work that incorporates found images, paint, pencils and gold leaf. I can't forget to mention that I'm in my third year of shooting a 365 photography project and it's an amazing practice! It helps me to look for beauty through light, composition, texture and story daily. Lastly, being connected to the art community has been essential and I'm committed to touching base with them weekly through a Creative Container newsletter I send out each Monday morning. In other words, all the things! Ha!
Where do you hope to see your work in 5 years?
In Create magazine! No but seriously, over the next 5 years, I will consistently develop my style creating a strong body of analog work. I want to go much deeper into the subjects I'm exploring, never being afraid to experiment.
My goals are always to continue to learn, give back when I can and connect and inspire others along the way. Collage is an art that is truly accessible to everyone and a great launching off point into the world of creativity, especially for people who might not think they're creative. It's my passion and I want to continue to shout it from the rooftops and share as much as I can with others. Thank you for allowing me the chance to do so!
In this interview I chat with Miriam Shimamura, an embroidery artist from Coquitlam, British Columbia. After reconnecting with her innate love of creating art, Miriam began painting with thread just over a year ago. Since then, Miriam has developed her own unique style inspired by abstraction, impressionism, and minimalism. With a deep appreciation for these art movements and a keen eye for detail, Miriam's hand embroidered work depicts a wide range of subject matter - from landscapes that are both representational and abstract to portraits of humans and animals. In this interview, Miriam shares her creative process and discusses the inspiration behind her visually stunning works of art.
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Hi Miriam! Tell me about your background and where your creative journey began.
My Mom might say my creative journey began when I was a toddler and painted the kitchen table and cupboards with jam, and I might have to agree with her. I have always loved art and drawing. The desire to create art is something that is an essential part of who I am, the colour in the light of my soul that would define me even if I lost my cognitive ability, if I lost my body. I am an artist.
In childhood this was a given, through adulthood I struggled for years to understand that again. We put so much into labels, we want clear definitions and control over expectations. I couldn't call myself an artist for a long time, I didn't go to art school, I didn't do it full time as a career, I wasn't good enough. I would say I was artistic, but never an artist.
In the past year I have finally come back to the freedom of that confident artist I was as a child, and have always been regardless.
What inspired you to create hand embroidered art?
When the adult colouring books became popular a few years ago, I bought a few and started in hoping to enjoy the calm and joy of colouring again. Yet, as a practical adult I did not relish the time invested into creating something that in the end looked to me like a sample of wallpaper that I definitely would not want on my wall.
My mom, an artist and art collector herself, had just purchased a small piece of embroidered art that was in the thread painting style of an ocean landscape. I loved it.
So as I needed a vacation activity and the colouring books available were not cutting it, I asked my mom to dig out her old embroidery supplies so that I could have a go at this enticing old but new medium. I connected with it immediately.
How has your art practice shifted or evolved over time?
After making that first piece, I dove into the world of modern embroidery. I loved all of it, but really wanted to make sure I was creating art that was from me, and not too heavily influenced by others.
I really like impressionism and the magic of minimalism telling a grand story. Yet my embroidery style evolved into fine detail with a single thread. So I allow that and try to incorporate impressionism and minimalism into my designs. There is really so much to talk about in the process of evolving and refining a style that I feel I could go on forever.
My key ingredients so to speak, are movement, colour combining, and perspective, in order to invoke in the viewer the emotions that would get them to tell their interpretation of the story I am presenting.
Your embroidered artwork is incredibly detailed. Can you tell me about your process and the time it typically takes to complete a piece?
When I first started I thought I had to let go of fine detail. I thought I had to let the broad free flowing lines do all the talking. I just couldn't do it though, as I love fine detail, so I decided to embrace it. I started working with a single strand of thread to do thread paintings. This definitely means the work takes more time, a lot more time! I enjoy that though. I relish the journey as much as the finished piece.
I dont keep a strict log of how long a piece takes me, because it weighs down the creative joy. Like dancing with tie downs on. My estimates are that my 10" 'California Dreaming' (the sandy beach and waves) piece took somewhere around 250 hrs. An 8" piece I did of a dog portrait with landscape took upwards of 100hrs.
You depict stunning landscapes as well as figures and animals. Where do you find inspiration for your work, and how do you select your subject matter?
When I am creating for me I generally choose abstract designs inspired by nature.
As for portraits and landscapes, I absolutely love creating a piece of art for someone of a person or place that they love. I get to share a piece of their story. I get to be a witness to that love and I feel honoured to have a part in the telling of that story. I think I do my best work when I am creating like this.
What are you working on at the moment?
Right now I am doing a thread painting of a close up of Jupiter, and a colourized sketch style portrait for a gentleman of his late Mom.
When did you join Instagram, and how has it impacted you as an artist?
Instagram for me is a place to connect with others who share a similar interest or passion. I have had a couple other accounts through the years for other interests(I joined Instagram about 6 years ago) and my embroidery account is no different, though it is viewed by many more people.
I probably don't engage with social media in a standard way. I dont like thinking about people in terms of numbers. One person or 10,000, it is all equally important. I do not do anything to gain followers or feel responsible for entertaining people. I am here to share and connect, join me or not, it is all good to me.
Where do you hope to see your work in 5 years?
I would love to be embroidering full time doing commissions. I also want to figure out a way to do some really big pieces.
Monday, May 18, 2020
My next interview is with painter Erika b Hess, who lives and works in Columbus, Ohio. Erika is known for her bold, vivid use of color and otherworldly imagery, largely inspired by the natural world. In her paintings, you'll find bright florals, slithering snakes, swarms of butterflies, and cloaked figures shrouded in plants. These elements come together to create narratives that are mysterious, beautiful, and complex. In this interview, Erika discusses the evolution of her work and what led her to launch her podcast, "I Like Your Work." She also shares her creative process and inspiration, from flower symbolism to the Greek goddess Persephone.
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Hi Erika! Tell me about your background and where your creative journey began.
Like a lot of artists, I was a creative kid. I grew up in an area filled with beautiful trees and miles of woods. I could walk out my front door and head up a hill to paths that would just keep going and going. There weren’t a lot of people and while it was beautiful, it was isolated and that was a bit of a struggle for me. I had to entertain myself through drawing or going on hikes. Making drawings or being in the woods felt like a way to connect with something else, something bigger, which is how I still feel about making paintings. I began seriously studying art in undergrad where I discovered oil paint, and worked with great faculty mentors, and then I went on to attend Boston University for my MFA.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Yes and no. The easy part was I knew I wanted to be a painter. The hard part was: “OK, how do you make that happen?” I took jobs that allowed me to have studio time, I was flexible in the studio spaces I worked in, and overall, I always made sure that making work was at the forefront of what I was doing. One example is when I moved to NYC after grad school: I told myself if I got into a situation where I wasn’t able to afford to make work, I would leave because I was there to be a painter, not to be someone who gave up painting to live in New York. I ended up leaving because I needed more of an income and that was a tough choice. I’ve shifted a lot in order to make room for my painting practice but as I’ve gotten older it’s become easier. I think the bottom line is you have to make decisions that work for you and work for what you want in your life.
How have your paintings shifted and evolved over time?
Yes, my paintings have definitely shifted over the past 15 years in terms of how I apply paint as well as in my subject matter. I originally worked from observation, and then left the figure to explore non-representational painting and have returned to representational painting. I have also shifted the surface of my work from working thick and with texture, to thin layers of color and back again.
Your work combines figurative elements with the flora and fauna of the natural world. What inspires your work, and how do you select your subject matter?
The figures with flowers started about five years ago when I had my first child. We were living away from family, and when we brought our daughter home from the hospital, we started receiving bouquets of flowers on our doorstep. I was floored! I hadn’t expected this gesture and this celebration of life was touching. This led to a series of paintings titled, “The Flower Bearers." The idea was beautifully simple to me: the act of giving and receiving flowers. And yet the narrative was wonderfully complex and mysterious: who is giving flowers, who is receiving, and why? I’m fascinated by how the flower reflects our own cyclical nature. We are born, we are beautiful, we live and we die. Recently I have been thinking about the idea of Persephone, Goddess of the Underworld and Goddess of fertility. Persephone received the souls of the dead into the earth and acquired powers over the fertility of the soil, over which she reigned. The cyclical nature of Persephone as both the bringer of life and witness of death is fascinating to me.
In addition to being a painter, you host "I Like Your Work," a podcast that features interviews with painters, curators, studio artists, and collectors. What led you to launch this podcast?
In 2016 I co-founded an artist space, MUSA Collective, and it was a really incredible experience for me. I loved working with other artists, and diving into supporting each other to achieve something larger than what we could do alone. After about a year of being involved, I knew I was going to move, and I wanted to continue a dialogue with artists and friends so I decided to start a podcast. I love being in people’s studios and hearing about their work and life. The fact is there are so many artists out there who we can learn from but that aren’t always enough platforms so I thought why not create one and share these great stories.
When did you join Instagram, and how has it impacted your work as an artist?
I joined in 2011 and at first, it was a place to post pictures of my cats! Ha! Over the years it became more of a professional space to share my work. Honestly, Instagram has had a positive and negative impact on me. There was a time where I became overwhelmed and being on there made me feel inadequate. It had to do with my own headspace. I needed to stop looking at a lot of work and just look at my own. Once I found my footing again I was able to go back on and not have those feelings. Now I use Instagram as a way to find artists to share on I Like Your Work and that is a different way to look for me. Instead of thinking about it in relation to my own paintings, I look at it on its own terms. That has been a very different experience for me as an artist and one that I find positive.
What does the future hold for your painting and creative endeavors?
I am thrilled to share that I have a solo show coming up at Marietta College in Spring of 2021 that I am currently making work for and I will have work in a group show at Contemporary Art Matters in Columbus, OH this summer.
Like a lot of artists, I was a creative kid. I grew up in an area filled with beautiful trees and miles of woods. I could walk out my front door and head up a hill to paths that would just keep going and going. There weren’t a lot of people and while it was beautiful, it was isolated and that was a bit of a struggle for me. I had to entertain myself through drawing or going on hikes. Making drawings or being in the woods felt like a way to connect with something else, something bigger, which is how I still feel about making paintings. I began seriously studying art in undergrad where I discovered oil paint, and worked with great faculty mentors, and then I went on to attend Boston University for my MFA.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Yes and no. The easy part was I knew I wanted to be a painter. The hard part was: “OK, how do you make that happen?” I took jobs that allowed me to have studio time, I was flexible in the studio spaces I worked in, and overall, I always made sure that making work was at the forefront of what I was doing. One example is when I moved to NYC after grad school: I told myself if I got into a situation where I wasn’t able to afford to make work, I would leave because I was there to be a painter, not to be someone who gave up painting to live in New York. I ended up leaving because I needed more of an income and that was a tough choice. I’ve shifted a lot in order to make room for my painting practice but as I’ve gotten older it’s become easier. I think the bottom line is you have to make decisions that work for you and work for what you want in your life.
How have your paintings shifted and evolved over time?
Yes, my paintings have definitely shifted over the past 15 years in terms of how I apply paint as well as in my subject matter. I originally worked from observation, and then left the figure to explore non-representational painting and have returned to representational painting. I have also shifted the surface of my work from working thick and with texture, to thin layers of color and back again.
Your work combines figurative elements with the flora and fauna of the natural world. What inspires your work, and how do you select your subject matter?
The figures with flowers started about five years ago when I had my first child. We were living away from family, and when we brought our daughter home from the hospital, we started receiving bouquets of flowers on our doorstep. I was floored! I hadn’t expected this gesture and this celebration of life was touching. This led to a series of paintings titled, “The Flower Bearers." The idea was beautifully simple to me: the act of giving and receiving flowers. And yet the narrative was wonderfully complex and mysterious: who is giving flowers, who is receiving, and why? I’m fascinated by how the flower reflects our own cyclical nature. We are born, we are beautiful, we live and we die. Recently I have been thinking about the idea of Persephone, Goddess of the Underworld and Goddess of fertility. Persephone received the souls of the dead into the earth and acquired powers over the fertility of the soil, over which she reigned. The cyclical nature of Persephone as both the bringer of life and witness of death is fascinating to me.
In addition to being a painter, you host "I Like Your Work," a podcast that features interviews with painters, curators, studio artists, and collectors. What led you to launch this podcast?
In 2016 I co-founded an artist space, MUSA Collective, and it was a really incredible experience for me. I loved working with other artists, and diving into supporting each other to achieve something larger than what we could do alone. After about a year of being involved, I knew I was going to move, and I wanted to continue a dialogue with artists and friends so I decided to start a podcast. I love being in people’s studios and hearing about their work and life. The fact is there are so many artists out there who we can learn from but that aren’t always enough platforms so I thought why not create one and share these great stories.
When did you join Instagram, and how has it impacted your work as an artist?
I joined in 2011 and at first, it was a place to post pictures of my cats! Ha! Over the years it became more of a professional space to share my work. Honestly, Instagram has had a positive and negative impact on me. There was a time where I became overwhelmed and being on there made me feel inadequate. It had to do with my own headspace. I needed to stop looking at a lot of work and just look at my own. Once I found my footing again I was able to go back on and not have those feelings. Now I use Instagram as a way to find artists to share on I Like Your Work and that is a different way to look for me. Instead of thinking about it in relation to my own paintings, I look at it on its own terms. That has been a very different experience for me as an artist and one that I find positive.
What does the future hold for your painting and creative endeavors?
I am thrilled to share that I have a solo show coming up at Marietta College in Spring of 2021 that I am currently making work for and I will have work in a group show at Contemporary Art Matters in Columbus, OH this summer.
Friday, May 15, 2020
My next interview is with Henry Kunkel, a painter and poet living and working in Paonia, Colorado. I first met Henry back in 2007 when we both attended the pre-college program at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan. Henry draws inspiration for his dream-like paintings from his own writing - each artwork paired with a beautifully crafted poem that provides the viewer with an insight into Henry’s creative process. His recent painting series, “This Tree’s Splinters,” and “With As Much Feeling As a Log” serves as an exploration of the self; drawing up memory, emotion, and experience to create a collection of personal narratives that Henry describes as somewhat of a self-interrogration. In this interview, Henry discusses his journey as an artist - from finger painting as a child in Boston - to overcoming adversity as a young adult in New York City, and now serving as a leader in fostering artist made communities.
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Hi Henry! Tell me about your background and where your creative journey began.
First, Thanks for reaching out to interview me. It’s a cool project that you’re working on. I grew up outside Boston, MA and have been painting for as long as I can remember. Finger painting and going to museums with my dad was a big part of childhood. I knew it’s what I wanted to do from as early as 7 years old. It’s funny after all this time I still start my paintings the same way; with a finger-painted underpainting.
How have your paintings shifted and evolved over time?
Well, I’d say my handling of color had been the largest shift. I was afraid of color as a kid and mainly worked monochromatically and in earth tones because I’m colorblind and used to think of it as an impediment. Once I embraced color theory and spent time experimenting and playing; I really fell in love with color and now I would say color is the most important part of my practice. Everything is informed by its own unique poetics and feeling is really carried and expressed in the language of color.
How did your experience at the School of Visual Arts shape your work?
Honestly, through adversity. It was less the program that shaped me as being a young person trying to survive in New York City. It chewed me up and spat me out. Leaving room for some really vulnerable exploration and questioning of self that changed my disposition as well as the thought process behind my work. One of the most poignant moments during that era was living in the subway in December during finals my sophomore year. If it wasn’t for a really kind homeless veteran who took me in I don’t know what would have happened to me. Also, trying to make work and go to school while homeless was really difficult. I quit school for a bit after that and moved to Boston where I finished my degree at Massachusetts College of Art & Design.
Your recent painting series, "This Tree's Splinters," is composed of vivid, dream-like, and almost otherworldly subject matter. Can you talk about the narratives you create in these paintings, and what themes you're exploring?
“This Trees Splinters” is a chronological dissection of the self, meant to try to grapple with the intangible nature of disposition. The works are autobiographical and are intended as a sort of self-interrogation into a collage of memories, Feelings, and beliefs, stringing symbol, color, narrative and movement into a quilt. This motley patchwork is an attempt to grasp the ethereal nature of emotions on a personal level to better understand my place in the world as well as ask the viewer to question their dispositions; both conscious and subconscious.
That is my artist statement, and it has a similar line of questioning as my other body of paintings, Titled “With As Much Feeling as A Log”. The thing that separates the two bodies, is an experiment in practice. The difference between them is an exchange between the mediums of poetry and painting allowing them to grow each other. I have found it to be an interesting rule to employ with some works. I write a bit then paint based off what came up from the writing and visa versa. It allows both my paintings and poems to take on unexpected shapes as well as creates a new lens for the viewer to engage both. Both series are ongoing.
First, Thanks for reaching out to interview me. It’s a cool project that you’re working on. I grew up outside Boston, MA and have been painting for as long as I can remember. Finger painting and going to museums with my dad was a big part of childhood. I knew it’s what I wanted to do from as early as 7 years old. It’s funny after all this time I still start my paintings the same way; with a finger-painted underpainting.
How have your paintings shifted and evolved over time?
Well, I’d say my handling of color had been the largest shift. I was afraid of color as a kid and mainly worked monochromatically and in earth tones because I’m colorblind and used to think of it as an impediment. Once I embraced color theory and spent time experimenting and playing; I really fell in love with color and now I would say color is the most important part of my practice. Everything is informed by its own unique poetics and feeling is really carried and expressed in the language of color.
How did your experience at the School of Visual Arts shape your work?
Honestly, through adversity. It was less the program that shaped me as being a young person trying to survive in New York City. It chewed me up and spat me out. Leaving room for some really vulnerable exploration and questioning of self that changed my disposition as well as the thought process behind my work. One of the most poignant moments during that era was living in the subway in December during finals my sophomore year. If it wasn’t for a really kind homeless veteran who took me in I don’t know what would have happened to me. Also, trying to make work and go to school while homeless was really difficult. I quit school for a bit after that and moved to Boston where I finished my degree at Massachusetts College of Art & Design.
Your recent painting series, "This Tree's Splinters," is composed of vivid, dream-like, and almost otherworldly subject matter. Can you talk about the narratives you create in these paintings, and what themes you're exploring?
“This Trees Splinters” is a chronological dissection of the self, meant to try to grapple with the intangible nature of disposition. The works are autobiographical and are intended as a sort of self-interrogation into a collage of memories, Feelings, and beliefs, stringing symbol, color, narrative and movement into a quilt. This motley patchwork is an attempt to grasp the ethereal nature of emotions on a personal level to better understand my place in the world as well as ask the viewer to question their dispositions; both conscious and subconscious.
That is my artist statement, and it has a similar line of questioning as my other body of paintings, Titled “With As Much Feeling as A Log”. The thing that separates the two bodies, is an experiment in practice. The difference between them is an exchange between the mediums of poetry and painting allowing them to grow each other. I have found it to be an interesting rule to employ with some works. I write a bit then paint based off what came up from the writing and visa versa. It allows both my paintings and poems to take on unexpected shapes as well as creates a new lens for the viewer to engage both. Both series are ongoing.
Which artists have influenced your work?
Some of the more canonized ones: Max Ernst, Gerhard Richter, Phillip Guston, Marlene Dumas, Alberto Giacometti, Cecily Brown Mostly I think I am influenced by my peers and friends, who are finding their footing in the art world in diverse and creative ways.
When did you join Instagram, and how has it impacted you as an artist?
I joined Instagram in 2014 and it’s had waves of impact in varying degrees. I’ve sold work and been asked to participate in shows and interviews. I’ve been accepted to a residency that only asked for my Instagram. I’ve had meaningful dialogue with other artists and found some amazing people through the platform as well as postings for calls for art and shows.
Where do you hope to see your work in the next five years?
This isn’t a simple question… My practice in the last two years has undergone some considerable changes. Painting is still a major part of it but after five years of sporadic residency hopping and now being the program manager of Elsewhere Studios Artist Residency, My energy is drawn to helping foster artist made communities. Another change to my practice in the last few years has been working on a collaborative project with a sound artist. We write and draw graphic scores and perform sound and visual pieces in diverse and unconventional ways. So to answer your question I feel like I’m on a good track. A lot of my passions are coming together in ways that allow me to I hope in five years I have discovered a better balance between all of my passions and everything is given the time it deserves but ultimately I’m happy where I am and I’m excited to keep furthering my quality of work and quality of self.
Some of the more canonized ones: Max Ernst, Gerhard Richter, Phillip Guston, Marlene Dumas, Alberto Giacometti, Cecily Brown Mostly I think I am influenced by my peers and friends, who are finding their footing in the art world in diverse and creative ways.
When did you join Instagram, and how has it impacted you as an artist?
I joined Instagram in 2014 and it’s had waves of impact in varying degrees. I’ve sold work and been asked to participate in shows and interviews. I’ve been accepted to a residency that only asked for my Instagram. I’ve had meaningful dialogue with other artists and found some amazing people through the platform as well as postings for calls for art and shows.
Where do you hope to see your work in the next five years?
This isn’t a simple question… My practice in the last two years has undergone some considerable changes. Painting is still a major part of it but after five years of sporadic residency hopping and now being the program manager of Elsewhere Studios Artist Residency, My energy is drawn to helping foster artist made communities. Another change to my practice in the last few years has been working on a collaborative project with a sound artist. We write and draw graphic scores and perform sound and visual pieces in diverse and unconventional ways. So to answer your question I feel like I’m on a good track. A lot of my passions are coming together in ways that allow me to I hope in five years I have discovered a better balance between all of my passions and everything is given the time it deserves but ultimately I’m happy where I am and I’m excited to keep furthering my quality of work and quality of self.
Wednesday, May 13, 2020
Creative Entrepreneur: Taylor Wang, Co-Founder of Student Art Spaces
Instagram: _taylorwang + studentartspaces
Website: www.studentartspaces.org
Instagram: _taylorwang + studentartspaces
Website: www.studentartspaces.org
A few weeks ago I received a message from Taylor Wang, a high school student from Seattle who co-founded Student Art Spaces - an organization that provides youth across the nation with incredible opportunities in the arts. I followed my curiosity to the Student Art Spaces website, and was completely awestruck by the amazing work that Taylor and her friends are doing. With an entreprenurial spirit and a strong desire to make a change, the team at SAS created a platform that celebrates and empowers artists of all backgrounds. Now with locations in nine states, SAS gives young people a chance to be seen and heard through art. In this interview, Taylor discusses what inspired her to start this intitiative and shares her goal of making art accessible for all.
Meet the team: pictured above are the members of SAS, who work tirelessly to provide opportunities in the arts for youth around the nation.
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Student work from the Coming Home exhibit, curated by SAS. @_falconart, @dani.t3, @rileyknachtrieb and @ciatoru
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Hi Taylor! Can you tell me about the mission of Student Art Spaces, and what led you to create this organization?
Student Art Spaces is a global teen-led initiative breaking down barriers in the arts. When I was 15, I co-founded this organization with zero intention of sparking this huge movement of artists and volunteers. At the time, all I knew was that no group in Seattle existed to increase art opportunity by young people, for young people specifically. As a Chinese American, I had my fair share of experiences feeling like I did not belong in art spaces. I wanted to give other young artists the exposure and encouragement they needed to succeed. So that's how we started - a group of high school friends Googling things like, "How do I start an art gallery? Where is the funding? What is a utility bill?"
SAS currently has nine chapters around the nation, with the original located in Seattle. What opportunities does each chapter provide to underserved artists and communities?
What blows my mind the most is the ability for this project to constantly scale up. About a year ago, we were teens holed up in a Starbucks looking up what the IRS is. Today, we are a nationwide network of dedicated youth. Since the demographic in each region is so different, we use local knowledge from our chapter affiliates to reach out to teens in their city. The first thing we teach members of a new chapter is how to connect with their organic community because the art culture in New York will be very different than the culture in Alabama. Right now, Our Texas chapter is currently hosting a call for quarantine-related entries from local artists, while our Massachusetts chapter is accepting submissions for a coloring book!
Can you talk about the exhibition opportunities you provide to young artists?
Our exhibition opportunities are the feat I am most proud of. Although all of our exhibitions (HQ and chapters alike) are currently on hold due to COVID-19 safety precautions, we managed to successfully pull our first one off in August of 2019. Thanks to the kind offering of a space from Ruthie V. of the Seattle Artist League and funding from community members, we were able to exhibit 43 Gen-Z artists free of cost. That means no framing, wiring, hanging, or printing fees which can often serve as a deterrent for young artists lacking in funds. We emphasize narratives from those who are unheard in professional art spaces such as women of color and LGBTQ folks. You can bet that once this is all over, we'll jump right back into providing vital exhibition opportunities--but for now, we're focusing in on our digital campaigns.
Your first magazine issue is titled Art During a Pandemic, and centers around the current health crisis. Can you tell me about the zine and what you're hoping to achieve?
We're all very excited to release it! "Art During a Pandemic" is a medley of prose, poetry, and visual art showcasing youth perspectives on COVID-19. These days, it feels impossible to escape the onslaught of coronavirus news updates and public panic. We hosted this open call for work to give teen artists an outlet for the overwhelming emotions this experience has led to. From Asian American artists feeling threatened in their own homes to disillusioned writers criticizing the ignorance of the rich at this time, our submissions lay it all on the table.
How has Student Art Spaces grown since first launching, and what are your goals moving forward?
Shortly after our first gallery, we received dozens of messages from teens local and international on how they could start something like this in their own city. It's been an honor helping these chapter affiliates set up, and I am so in love with the work they do. Moving forward, I want SAS to reach other cities and countries because art is a relevant cause anywhere and everywhere. Every culture since the beginning of time has developed some form of art. It's up to us now to ensure that these stories don't get lost.
Student Art Spaces is a global teen-led initiative breaking down barriers in the arts. When I was 15, I co-founded this organization with zero intention of sparking this huge movement of artists and volunteers. At the time, all I knew was that no group in Seattle existed to increase art opportunity by young people, for young people specifically. As a Chinese American, I had my fair share of experiences feeling like I did not belong in art spaces. I wanted to give other young artists the exposure and encouragement they needed to succeed. So that's how we started - a group of high school friends Googling things like, "How do I start an art gallery? Where is the funding? What is a utility bill?"
SAS currently has nine chapters around the nation, with the original located in Seattle. What opportunities does each chapter provide to underserved artists and communities?
What blows my mind the most is the ability for this project to constantly scale up. About a year ago, we were teens holed up in a Starbucks looking up what the IRS is. Today, we are a nationwide network of dedicated youth. Since the demographic in each region is so different, we use local knowledge from our chapter affiliates to reach out to teens in their city. The first thing we teach members of a new chapter is how to connect with their organic community because the art culture in New York will be very different than the culture in Alabama. Right now, Our Texas chapter is currently hosting a call for quarantine-related entries from local artists, while our Massachusetts chapter is accepting submissions for a coloring book!
Can you talk about the exhibition opportunities you provide to young artists?
Our exhibition opportunities are the feat I am most proud of. Although all of our exhibitions (HQ and chapters alike) are currently on hold due to COVID-19 safety precautions, we managed to successfully pull our first one off in August of 2019. Thanks to the kind offering of a space from Ruthie V. of the Seattle Artist League and funding from community members, we were able to exhibit 43 Gen-Z artists free of cost. That means no framing, wiring, hanging, or printing fees which can often serve as a deterrent for young artists lacking in funds. We emphasize narratives from those who are unheard in professional art spaces such as women of color and LGBTQ folks. You can bet that once this is all over, we'll jump right back into providing vital exhibition opportunities--but for now, we're focusing in on our digital campaigns.
Your first magazine issue is titled Art During a Pandemic, and centers around the current health crisis. Can you tell me about the zine and what you're hoping to achieve?
We're all very excited to release it! "Art During a Pandemic" is a medley of prose, poetry, and visual art showcasing youth perspectives on COVID-19. These days, it feels impossible to escape the onslaught of coronavirus news updates and public panic. We hosted this open call for work to give teen artists an outlet for the overwhelming emotions this experience has led to. From Asian American artists feeling threatened in their own homes to disillusioned writers criticizing the ignorance of the rich at this time, our submissions lay it all on the table.
How has Student Art Spaces grown since first launching, and what are your goals moving forward?
Shortly after our first gallery, we received dozens of messages from teens local and international on how they could start something like this in their own city. It's been an honor helping these chapter affiliates set up, and I am so in love with the work they do. Moving forward, I want SAS to reach other cities and countries because art is a relevant cause anywhere and everywhere. Every culture since the beginning of time has developed some form of art. It's up to us now to ensure that these stories don't get lost.
Friday, May 8, 2020
My next interview is with Wole Lagunju, a contemporary Yoruba artist. In his work, Wole explores and critiques unjust systems of power by inviting the viewer to investigate racial and social hierarchies, often referencing colonization and imperialism. Many of Wole's paintings examine the hybridization of cultures - juxtaposing traditional elements of Yoruba culture, such as masks, dances, and sacred beliefs, with images and icons of the Western world. Most recently, Wole has been working on a series of large-scale portraits set against vibrant, floral backgrounds, which draw upon his experiences as both a multimedia artist and graphic designer.
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Hi Wole! Tell me about your background and where your creative journey began.
I grew up in the early seventies in Oshogbo, a town in Western Nigeria. Oshogbo is famous for its art school and the annual festival and celebration of Oshun, a river goddess. I also attended the University of Ife, now known as Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria and received a Bachelors degree in Fine Arts with a specialization in Graphic Design. I have work experience in both journalism and advertising as an illustrator, cartoonist and visualizer.
Your work reexamines traditional art and design from Yoruba. How has art from this region influenced you as an artist, and in what ways does your work reimagine this art form?
My work consists of paintings, installations and drawings that reinterpret my culture as contemporary African art.
As an artist, you explore and critique system's of power, providing a commentary on both racial and social hierarchy - specifically during the 19th century. In what ways does your work challenge these ideologies?
My work is meant to draw attention to racial and social disparities which one encounters as a diaspora individual living in the Western world. It also instigates conversation on imperialism, colonization and the marginalization of minorities and traditional societies.
What do you hope viewers will take away from your work?
The knowledge that all cultures are one and the same.
Your paintings are primarily figurative, often depicting the human figure painted meticulously amongst a vibrant background. How do you balance art and design elements in your work?
The balancing of design elements in my work stems from my training as a graphic designer and illustrator. I am also guided by extensive observation, knowledge and inspiration of design found in traditional Yoruba culture. This is apparent in shrine paintings, masks and textile designs of both male and female Yoruba artists.
How has your experience in graphic design influenced your paintings?
My experience in graphic design informs my creative work process. I sometimes plan my paintings and drawings before execution using a digital process.
How has your work shifted and evolved over the years?
My work has shifted from the reinterpretation of traditional art and design to figuration and portraiture. I have also been able to introduce elements of hybridity and design from Western culture. My choice of media has also evolved from drawing with India ink and painting with acrylic paints to painting primarily in oils.
When did you join Instagram, and how has it impacted you as an artist?
Even though I had an instagram account earlier, I joined officially in 2015. Instagram has helped to bring my art to a wider and more immediate audience.
Tuesday, May 5, 2020
In this interview, I chat with textile artist Larysa Bernhardt from Blackwell, Missouri. Larysa is known for her stunning hand-crafted sculptures of moths and butterflies, many of which are made using vintage and hand-dyed fabric. To create her mystical creatures, Larysa collects textiles from around the world - each piece telling its own unique story.
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Hi Larysa! Tell me about your background and where your creative journey began.
For as long as I can remember I’ve been sewing. My family on my mom’s side has this long lasting trait...in every generation two girls are born. One can sew anything. The other can’t replace a missing button but is good with math. I got a sewing gene. My sister got a well paid job.
How has your work shifted and evolved over the years?
I discovered many beautiful textiles I didn’t realize existed. It started with passion for antique and vintage style home decor and weekend trips hunting down beautiful timeworn objects. I found some needlepoints that had moth damage. Oh, the irony! What ended their life as a pillow brought them back into the spotlight as textile sculptures of Moths and Butterflies.
What inspired you to create 3D creatures, such as moths and butterflies, out of fabric?
As my collection of antique and vintage fabrics grew bigger my husband started teasing me about moths possibly getting into my stash. I kept thinking about it and one day, playing with a particularly damaged piece of tapestry, I thought - why not? That first one - I still have it - wasn’t exactly a work of art! But it showcased the beauty of the tapestry in a most magical way. I was hooked.
You use vintage fabric and tapestries in your work. How do your textile choices contribute to each creature?
The size of the pattern plays huge role. But mostly it is storytelling. I want every piece to tell it’s own story. Where it’s been, what it's seen. I find textiles in different countries, and when you get a parcel from, say, Turkey, and it smells of spices and strong coffee, well, you know there’s a story!
Can you share your process and technique, and the length of time it takes to create a finished piece?
Every piece is unique and takes a different amount of time. Sometimes fabric is worn and fibers need to be reinforced. Sometimes velvet that I use for the body looks too new and I dye it with flowers from my garden to give them a muted color that’s associated with time and sun exposure. I use new fabrics for bodies because that’s what holds it together and I want the body to be strong. Every detail is wired for gentle shaping. I don’t use glue, and I use raw cotton for stuffing. My pieces will last for centuries if kept dry and - well, away from moths!
When did you join Instagram, and how has it impacted your art career?
It’s been only three years, and I love the community. What people can create inspire me to be better at creating too. Being a visual thinker, Instagram is a platform for me. Also, when I loose my courage there’s always someone to give a shoulder and a leg up. People are much nicer than given credit. I can always count on my creative tribe to be there for me!
For as long as I can remember I’ve been sewing. My family on my mom’s side has this long lasting trait...in every generation two girls are born. One can sew anything. The other can’t replace a missing button but is good with math. I got a sewing gene. My sister got a well paid job.
How has your work shifted and evolved over the years?
I discovered many beautiful textiles I didn’t realize existed. It started with passion for antique and vintage style home decor and weekend trips hunting down beautiful timeworn objects. I found some needlepoints that had moth damage. Oh, the irony! What ended their life as a pillow brought them back into the spotlight as textile sculptures of Moths and Butterflies.
What inspired you to create 3D creatures, such as moths and butterflies, out of fabric?
As my collection of antique and vintage fabrics grew bigger my husband started teasing me about moths possibly getting into my stash. I kept thinking about it and one day, playing with a particularly damaged piece of tapestry, I thought - why not? That first one - I still have it - wasn’t exactly a work of art! But it showcased the beauty of the tapestry in a most magical way. I was hooked.
You use vintage fabric and tapestries in your work. How do your textile choices contribute to each creature?
The size of the pattern plays huge role. But mostly it is storytelling. I want every piece to tell it’s own story. Where it’s been, what it's seen. I find textiles in different countries, and when you get a parcel from, say, Turkey, and it smells of spices and strong coffee, well, you know there’s a story!
Can you share your process and technique, and the length of time it takes to create a finished piece?
Every piece is unique and takes a different amount of time. Sometimes fabric is worn and fibers need to be reinforced. Sometimes velvet that I use for the body looks too new and I dye it with flowers from my garden to give them a muted color that’s associated with time and sun exposure. I use new fabrics for bodies because that’s what holds it together and I want the body to be strong. Every detail is wired for gentle shaping. I don’t use glue, and I use raw cotton for stuffing. My pieces will last for centuries if kept dry and - well, away from moths!
When did you join Instagram, and how has it impacted your art career?
It’s been only three years, and I love the community. What people can create inspire me to be better at creating too. Being a visual thinker, Instagram is a platform for me. Also, when I loose my courage there’s always someone to give a shoulder and a leg up. People are much nicer than given credit. I can always count on my creative tribe to be there for me!
Saturday, May 2, 2020
My next interview is with Jessica Bellamy, a painter based in Los Angeles. Jessica creates her own dream-like worlds inspired by the California landscape - composed of vibrant sunsets, palm trees burst into flames or fashioned as bouquets, and highway signs with political messages. In this interview, Jessica discusses the American dream that brought her family from Cuba and the midwest to L.A, and how she explores and reshapes the idea of a Western paradise in her own work.
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Hi Jessica! Tell me about your background and where your creative journey began.
I grew up in Whittier, California in the 90’s with my mom just outside of Los Angeles and have lived in LA my entire life. I was exposed to a lot of art early on and I always wanted to be an artist, but I didn’t do any formal training in oils until I got to college at USC and took an intro to studio painting class. I ended up minoring in painting and I’ve stuck with the medium since then. I come from an artistic family and while no one would self-describe as an artist everyone loves working with their hands. My mother and grandfather in particular always went above and beyond to foster and support my creativity.
How has your work shifted and evolved over the years?
My work has become more about building worlds from my point of view and trusting that my ideas are enough. I have embraced being more experimental in the studio, while at the same time choosing to fully test out ideas for paintings multiple times, giving different elements a chance and working iteratively. Even though I would say I’m a relatively “quick” oil painter, nothing is fast with this medium, so having the patience to fully explore an idea from every angle means there is more room for small, generational evolutions and my work ends up more cohesive with each piece almost referencing another. This has helped build natural series, which is something that a few years ago was difficult for me to approach in an organic way.
I love when I know an artist by their hand, color choices, or framing even when they paint vastly different series. I didn’t see that in my early work and I look forward to continuing to move in that direction.
Palm trees are a recurring theme in your work - whether they are painted in rainbow hues, bursting with flames, or perhaps even viewed through a metal fence. How does the California landscape impact your work?
I’ve built a sort of visual rolodex that I can visit in my work that is uniquely western and Californian. My paintings are usually developed from a note, title, or phrase that comes to me while navigating my way through life in Los Angeles. The compositions are dream-like visions of the world around me that give form to unseen, often absurdly humorous or unsettling narratives that lie beneath the landscape of mundane things: shaggy palm trees, excessive parking signs, eccentric architecture, and sunset views from the freeways. As I explore and define my perspective as a mixed-race millennial woman, I use the familiarity and comfort of California landscapes and aesthetics to connect shared visual references with the mood of chaotic unrest that is undeniable in our shared historical moment. Presenting an intensified view of contemporary life that wavers between idealism and existential ambivalence and the identity of a place.
Recently, palm trees have become my most pervasive motif. By portraying them on fire or as alternative bouquets, for example, I attempt to recontextualize, individualize, and personify this highly recognizable form. When I see the trees in reality I think of the California dream that the palms represent. That version of the American dream drew my family to Los Angeles from both the Midwest and Cuba in the 1930s and 1960s, promising paradise and urban oasis, visually encompassing so much of the cultural aspersions of a city for a century which my generation is re-inventing.
Your paintings also depict cars, highways, and street signs with phrases such as, "The World is Yours," or "There is No Threat." Can you tell me a bit about the narratives you create in your work?
Replacing text seen in reality with phrases that can be applied more universally and linked to philosophy or maximums helps me build worlds. Usually it's to comment explicitly on political and current events, slightly subverting what’s depicted, such as a neon motel sign reading “The World is Yours”, or a newspaper where the headlines are dire but not too far from our current reality. Most recently I used my favorite quote of the 2010’s “Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely” in place of freeway signs, above cars on the 405. Dropping a propaganda-less political quote in the public space where it would never be found in reality, with a dreamy sky framing the text helps create paintings that evoke familiarity and strike a lighthearted tone about a world gone wrong. The piece Tropical Meltdown “There is no Threat” was an actual sign in Hawaii in 2018 during the false North Korea missile alert incident. The exact electronic freeway message flashed for a few hours and was necessary to end hysteria but I saw it as interesting language even without context and as the news cycles through the phrase can be applied to almost anything at all.
In addition to painting on canvas, you also paint on shaped panels that you cut from wood. What led you to paint on different surfaces?
The first iterations of the panels were all traditional canvas paintings, and some were not getting the message across that I wanted, so I needed a new approach to the medium. I also get excited when I see irregularly shaped canvases or panels and I wanted to learn to be more self-sufficient by building up my woodworking skills (thanks YouTube!) so that I could get even more imaginative with my work and not need to rely on mass manufactured objects. It also adds some instant gratification to the process, since the shape is such an important part of the finished piece I immediately have a tone to the work before priming. I think moving to wood panels for certain pieces makes a painting assert its two dimensionality more and touches on it becoming a symbol or an icon, like with the flame-shaped panel piece, Chaotic Good Sunset Palms (Catch this Bouquet).
When did you join Instagram, and how has it impacted your art career?
I joined Instagram in 2012. Sometime around 2017 art started to become more frequent in my posts and by 2018 art was the majority. So many opportunities, and sales, and even inspiration has come from Instagram and I see it as an invaluable tool that helps fuel my art practice.
Instagram is how Superposition Gallery and I connected and that led to two group shows in the past year where I’ve been able to meet with other artists IRL and practice my public speaking skills with artist talks and panels. It’s also helped a few collectors find me serendipitously. In the last year I’ve used it as another way to organically connect with art consultants and curators, making it easier to reach out with a cold email inviting them for a studio visit because you’ve seen their Instagram coverage of them doing the same with other artists.
What goals and aspirations do you have as an artist?
This year I want to do more installation-based work, and work with our urban “nature” in Los Angeles. I would love to create public art as well. I’ve realized that pursuing something that offers lifelong learning is what is most important to me as an artist. I see myself painting and art making for the rest of my life, there isn’t much else that I can say that about.
In this interview I chat with painter Anisa Asakawa, based in Portland. Having lived in Hawaii, Malaysia, and Wisconsin before moving to her current home in Oregon, Anisa expresses a deep appreciation for the natural world in every painting she creates. From vibrant landscapes to stunning figurative work, Anisa discusses the evolution of her creative process. Exploring themes of motherhood, femininity, and the serenity of nature, Anisa's paintings evoke a sense of gratitude and hope.
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Hi Anisa! Tell me about your background and where your creative journey began.
I was born and raised in Hawaii, Malaysia and Wisconsin. My mother is a botanist and my father was a forester. The combination of Hawaii’s native culture and my parents’ interest in studying plants around the world instilled my reverence for Mother Nature. I was always a creative kid. My mom found an amazing art teacher who converted her whole house into a giant art studio for lessons. I remember going to her house every other weekend to explore ceramics, painting, printmaking and craft projects. It was wonderful. I was also that art kid in school who sold friendship bracelets, designed all the club t-shirts, and took all the art classes. I eventually went on to study fine art and graduated with a BFA from Washington University in St. Louis in 2009. After college I worked as a Display Coordinator for Anthropologie, a cake decorator and a store graphic artist for Whole Foods Market before pursuing my independent art career in 2016.
From scenic mountain paintings to figurative work, you often blend elements of landscape with portraiture. Can you tell me a bit about your process and where you find inspiration?
Mother Nature is my muse and always has been. The way I make art is simply how I see the world and how I imagine us in the world. We are part of a much greater ecosystem and I constantly want to remind myself and others of how we are one with nature. My process is very organic. I am inspired by a scene or a person or a feeling and I dive deep to bring that vision to life. I usually can’t sleep unless I get my ideas out there! I don’t know if it’s my art school training or the need to work quickly in my previous professional jobs, but I paint very, very fast and I enjoy that pace. Moving quickly in my process doesn’t let me second guess myself and allows for a more authentic expression.
Themes of motherhood and female empowerment can be found in your work. What led you to focus on these narratives, and what do you hope the viewer will take away from your work?
Female empowerment has been a theme in my work for a few years now. As a former ballet dancer and beauty queen, I really resent the ways our society objectifies and disrespects women. Now as a mother, I am even more emboldened to elevate the Divine Feminine and command the respect she deserves by creating images where my figures feel strong and powerful, not sexualized. I create art that reflects how I want to be seen in the world. I create images that I need to see: strong, empowered women and peaceful scenes of nature without humanity’s destruction.
You paint with bright, vivid colors, and many of your paintings are primed with a hot pink underpainting. How did you decide on your color palette, and what role does color play in your work?
Growing up in Hawaii has really influenced my sense of color. I LOVE COLOR. I can’t get enough of it. I paint the way I feel and that is very much reflected in my color choices. I enjoy bright colors or interesting color combinations because they are uplifting and energetic. I decided to use a hot pink underpainting in many of my pieces to add a layer of feminine energy to the canvas. In my landscapes, I enjoy the zings of hot pink peeking through the neutral landscape colors that give the piece more vibrancy and playfulness. For me, the hot pink represents Mother Nature’s ever-present spirit beneath the landscape or within each figure.
You mentioned that your work is shifting in a big way - can you tell me about the evolution of your work, and the transition you are currently experiencing?
My creative expression has always been in evolution. People who have known me since college have seen me create in nearly every single medium and scale. I’ve only been a “painter” for the last 4 years even though I studied traditional oil painting in college. I’m drawn to materials and the emotional experience of making art. For the last few years, painting has really checked all the boxes for me!
In this current pandemic crisis, I know that many of us are finding ways to cope with this new trauma. Coronavirus has brought up a lot of emotions for me as a mother of a 2yr old, a wife to an ER doctor working on the front lines, and as a daughter still grieving the loss of her father in 2018. The overwhelming emotions I feel for the world, our country, the many jobs lost, and all the deaths that will result from this pandemic have really catapulted me into a creative frenzy in order to process it all. I decided to commit to the #100dayproject as a way to explore my current themes of motherhood/Mother Nature during this time. I changed my process to allow for more cathartic expression by painting an abstract underpainting. This freedom gives me SO much peace. I love coming back to that abstract surface to explore how figures can emerge from the strokes by blocking in negative space. So far, it’s been thrilling to explore and I can’t wait to see how 100 explorations like this will change my work.
When did you join Instagram, and how has it impacted you as an artist?
I joined instagram as an artist in 2014, but didn’t really start posting regularly about what I was making till 2016 or so. Instagram is a special beast for me. I love it as a way to share my art with others and cheer on the artists I love, but I’ve definitely been down the black hole of being too swayed by the number of likes or followers I have or don’t have. Today, I use it as a visual studio journal for my collectors and fans to see what I’m up to and what I’m thinking about in the studio. Instagram has definitely been a blessing to me as an artist by connecting me with many opportunities, collectors and brands that I wouldn’t have otherwise been seen by. For that I’m incredibly grateful!
What does the future hold for your painting and creative endeavors?
Along with my #100dayproject which I’m currently posting on my Instagram @anisaasakawa , I have a big corporate mural commission coming up in May, and the LOCAL14 show in October here in Portland. I’d love to have a show for my #100dayproject artwork, but maybe it’ll have to be a virtual show this year :) I’ll definitely be launching this new work in the near future. I’m excited to keep exploring the parallels between Motherhood and Mother Nature in my paintings. These are themes that I feel so personally connected to and I hope my work will provide joy, peace and healing to others as well.
I was born and raised in Hawaii, Malaysia and Wisconsin. My mother is a botanist and my father was a forester. The combination of Hawaii’s native culture and my parents’ interest in studying plants around the world instilled my reverence for Mother Nature. I was always a creative kid. My mom found an amazing art teacher who converted her whole house into a giant art studio for lessons. I remember going to her house every other weekend to explore ceramics, painting, printmaking and craft projects. It was wonderful. I was also that art kid in school who sold friendship bracelets, designed all the club t-shirts, and took all the art classes. I eventually went on to study fine art and graduated with a BFA from Washington University in St. Louis in 2009. After college I worked as a Display Coordinator for Anthropologie, a cake decorator and a store graphic artist for Whole Foods Market before pursuing my independent art career in 2016.
From scenic mountain paintings to figurative work, you often blend elements of landscape with portraiture. Can you tell me a bit about your process and where you find inspiration?
Mother Nature is my muse and always has been. The way I make art is simply how I see the world and how I imagine us in the world. We are part of a much greater ecosystem and I constantly want to remind myself and others of how we are one with nature. My process is very organic. I am inspired by a scene or a person or a feeling and I dive deep to bring that vision to life. I usually can’t sleep unless I get my ideas out there! I don’t know if it’s my art school training or the need to work quickly in my previous professional jobs, but I paint very, very fast and I enjoy that pace. Moving quickly in my process doesn’t let me second guess myself and allows for a more authentic expression.
Themes of motherhood and female empowerment can be found in your work. What led you to focus on these narratives, and what do you hope the viewer will take away from your work?
Female empowerment has been a theme in my work for a few years now. As a former ballet dancer and beauty queen, I really resent the ways our society objectifies and disrespects women. Now as a mother, I am even more emboldened to elevate the Divine Feminine and command the respect she deserves by creating images where my figures feel strong and powerful, not sexualized. I create art that reflects how I want to be seen in the world. I create images that I need to see: strong, empowered women and peaceful scenes of nature without humanity’s destruction.
You paint with bright, vivid colors, and many of your paintings are primed with a hot pink underpainting. How did you decide on your color palette, and what role does color play in your work?
Growing up in Hawaii has really influenced my sense of color. I LOVE COLOR. I can’t get enough of it. I paint the way I feel and that is very much reflected in my color choices. I enjoy bright colors or interesting color combinations because they are uplifting and energetic. I decided to use a hot pink underpainting in many of my pieces to add a layer of feminine energy to the canvas. In my landscapes, I enjoy the zings of hot pink peeking through the neutral landscape colors that give the piece more vibrancy and playfulness. For me, the hot pink represents Mother Nature’s ever-present spirit beneath the landscape or within each figure.
You mentioned that your work is shifting in a big way - can you tell me about the evolution of your work, and the transition you are currently experiencing?
My creative expression has always been in evolution. People who have known me since college have seen me create in nearly every single medium and scale. I’ve only been a “painter” for the last 4 years even though I studied traditional oil painting in college. I’m drawn to materials and the emotional experience of making art. For the last few years, painting has really checked all the boxes for me!
In this current pandemic crisis, I know that many of us are finding ways to cope with this new trauma. Coronavirus has brought up a lot of emotions for me as a mother of a 2yr old, a wife to an ER doctor working on the front lines, and as a daughter still grieving the loss of her father in 2018. The overwhelming emotions I feel for the world, our country, the many jobs lost, and all the deaths that will result from this pandemic have really catapulted me into a creative frenzy in order to process it all. I decided to commit to the #100dayproject as a way to explore my current themes of motherhood/Mother Nature during this time. I changed my process to allow for more cathartic expression by painting an abstract underpainting. This freedom gives me SO much peace. I love coming back to that abstract surface to explore how figures can emerge from the strokes by blocking in negative space. So far, it’s been thrilling to explore and I can’t wait to see how 100 explorations like this will change my work.
When did you join Instagram, and how has it impacted you as an artist?
I joined instagram as an artist in 2014, but didn’t really start posting regularly about what I was making till 2016 or so. Instagram is a special beast for me. I love it as a way to share my art with others and cheer on the artists I love, but I’ve definitely been down the black hole of being too swayed by the number of likes or followers I have or don’t have. Today, I use it as a visual studio journal for my collectors and fans to see what I’m up to and what I’m thinking about in the studio. Instagram has definitely been a blessing to me as an artist by connecting me with many opportunities, collectors and brands that I wouldn’t have otherwise been seen by. For that I’m incredibly grateful!
What does the future hold for your painting and creative endeavors?
Along with my #100dayproject which I’m currently posting on my Instagram @anisaasakawa , I have a big corporate mural commission coming up in May, and the LOCAL14 show in October here in Portland. I’d love to have a show for my #100dayproject artwork, but maybe it’ll have to be a virtual show this year :) I’ll definitely be launching this new work in the near future. I’m excited to keep exploring the parallels between Motherhood and Mother Nature in my paintings. These are themes that I feel so personally connected to and I hope my work will provide joy, peace and healing to others as well.
Monday, April 27, 2020
My next interview is with Candace Hunter, a visual artist living and working in Chicago. Candace explores pivotal moments in history, often investigating racial and social injustices that are still present in society today. Her mixed media collages, delicate cameos, and art installations invite the viewer to examine these truths. In addition to creating art in a wide range of media, Candace is a curator, culture writer, and water rights activist. In this interview, Candace discusses the power of art as a vehicle for social change.
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Hi Candace! Tell me about your background and where your creative journey began.
Born with a great imagination and privy to the tall tales told by my grandfather and his brothers, I created my own stories early and wanted to share them to whoever might listen or watch. My mother was a teacher and my father a math mind. My only known grandparent was my grandfather who was a politician/baker/cartoonist!
How did your experiences traveling as a child influence the art you create today?
Because my mother was a school teacher, her four children were always on her vacation schedule. We traveled as a family a week after school let out until nearly the time to return to school. All of the other smaller holiday breaks were spent in museums throughout Chicago. I had special corners at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Field Museum of Natural History that I thought were solely mine.
At eight, I traveled with my siblings and my mother to Europe. It was a grand excursion of several months that took us all over the capitals, from England to Spain to the Pope’s Summer residence, Castle Gandolfo. It was at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam where I saw Rembrandt’s, “Night Watch”. I was intrigued by the little girl amongst all of those men! I wanted to know her story and stood there gazing at her until the family had to move to the next gallery. I knew then that a painting could move you.
Your mixed media work reflects pivotal moments in history; often highlighting racial injustices that are still present in society today. Can you elaborate on the meaning behind your work, and the impact you hope to make?
My grandfather, James S. Hunter, who I spoke of earlier, was the first Black Indiana State Representative. Between sharing family stories, he authored Civil Rights laws in his state. Two years before Brown vs. the Board of Education, he penned the law that outlawed the previously segregated school system in the state. His desire and work towards a more equitable world stuck with me and plays out in a lot of the work that I do.
You work in a variety of media; from drawing and painting, to collage and installation work. How does each medium lend itself to the work you are creating?
I have no allegiance to any art form, though collage is what I tend to do most. But if a piece of bark speaks to me or a juggling club, they might just make their way into a work.
In addition to being an artist, you are also a curator, culture writer, and water rights activist. Can you tell me about your experience in these fields and how these roles impact the work you create?
There were not as many opportunities for women artists of color when I was young, and so, most things that I wanted/needed to do, I had to do myself. I have talked my way into many doors – when I realized that there was virtually no critique in a city as large as Chicago for black artists, I requested a meeting with one of Chicago’s newsweeklies and asked about my submitting a short piece. I became the Arts and Culture writer for N’Digo for three years and then did the same work for the Chicago Defender.
The same kind of thing happened with curation. Artists that I knew needed someone to do that work and I stepped up.
Now, for the Water Rights? It was an artist's desire to be seen. The University of Minnesota had posted a listing for a show, Women and Water Rights: Rivers of Regeneration. The kicker? The lead juror was Lucy Lippard! I needed my work in front of her. The problem? I knew nothing about this issue. So, I set about learning. The more I learned, the more I realized that I needed to address the issue. That turned into, “Dust in Their Veins: a Visual Response to the Global Water Crisis”.
I first self-produced Dust with the help of a successful Kickstarter campaign. Literally at the opening, it was invited to move to the DuSable Museum that Fall. It then went on to the Stritch School of Medicine, then the Avery Research Institute at the College of Charleston, and the Murphy Gallery in Champagne/Urbana. It has allowed me to speak around the country on Women and Water Rights.
When did you join Instagram, and how has it impacted your work as an artist?
I have only been on IG for about a year. It has liberated me in how I can share my work with ever widening circles.
What advice would you give to emerging artists who are working to find their voice?
Just keep working. Keep creating. Don’t stop.
Friday, April 24, 2020
In this interview I chat with Kelly Johnston, a landscape painter living in Seattle. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, Kelly has always been enamored by the vivid scenery that surrounds her. She is drawn to the relationship between representation and abstraction, both of which are apparent in her dynamic series of work. Kelly discusses the inspiration she finds in the water and skies of Washington, and shares the beauty of discovering an art centered community on Instagram.
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Hi Kelly! Tell me about your background and where your creative journey began.
I have always loved creating things with my hands and painting has been my favorite way to do that from as far back as I can remember. I dabbled in all kinds of mediums growing up but really began focusing on painting in high school and later earned a Bachelor of Fine Art in Painting and Drawing from the University of Washington. After college, my painting practice stalled for about ten years while I worked full time, met my husband and we started our family – we have two children, now ages 12 and 15. I finally returned to painting when our youngest began full-day kindergarten. I remember feeling extremely anxious about trying to paint seriously again but I also knew it was something I had to do. So, with a lot of encouragement from my husband I rented a little studio near our then-home in West Seattle and got to work. That was 2013 and I have been painting steadily since then. We moved to Bainbridge Island (a 35 minute ferry ride across Puget Sound from Seattle) in 2014 and two years ago I rented a space in our small town that now acts as both my studio and my brick and mortar gallery.
What led you to paint landscapes and seascapes, and where do you find inspiration?
Landscape painting feels most authentic for me personally. I am so inspired by nature, especially where I live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, the pull to share that beauty is really what fuels my painting. Water and skies are my favorite things to paint. I have lived in the Seattle area and near water my entire life and that has made a lasting impact on me. I grew up boating with my family and have spent countless hours enjoying time near or on the water. Being outdoors is both something that brings me new ideas and also grounds me.
How has your work shifted and evolved over the years?
My work repeatedly bounces back and forth between traditional landscapes and abstraction. I find both to be really interesting and they each inform the other.
Can you tell me about your process and technique for creating a painting?
I work from my photos. I am constantly taking photos - especially over the last few years since the camera on my phone is so great, I no longer need to lug around my big DSLR camera. I use these photos as starting points and then refer to them as I paint. I find it’s almost more helpful to me if the photo is small so I can’t get so caught up in the little details that lead to tightening up, which is always something I struggle against, so I often just paint directly from my phone. For my water soluble oil paintings, I like to paint in layers and let things dry a bit between sessions, so it’s nice to have multiple paintings going at once. I also began using gouache a couple years ago and I really enjoy it when creating small paintings on paper – the color is so vivid and the speed at which it dries is really refreshing and forgiving.
In addition to being a painter, you also teach landscape painting workshops. What led you to teach, and how has teaching impacted your work?
I have actually only taught one workshop so far – it was just last month. Teaching is something I’ve been considering for a long time and finally agreed to try and I’m so glad I did! It was really fun to share my method and tips, plus it was helpful for me to articulate what I’m thinking about as I paint. I have another class scheduled for May and hopefully I’ll be able to move forward with that once we are out of quarantine.
Your paintings emphasize light and color. What advice would you give to landscape painters who are hoping to achieve similar effects in their work?
Really looking is the most important thing. Study the way light affects the landscape and try to figure out how you can translate that onto your canvas through color and brushstrokes. And allow room for emotion – if you can impart the way you feel about your subject into your painting, that’s when you end up with something great - when a painting moves from merely representational to almost magical.
When did you join Instagram, and how has it impacted you as an artist?
I started my art account on Instagram in 2013. It has been extremely helpful for me as a way to share my work with a worldwide audience. I also just like how it acts as a visual journal – it’s nice to be able to look back at what I’ve posted over time and notice influences and similarities. And I also really enjoy interacting with other artists and clients through Instagram – it has definitely helped me find an art centered community.
What does the future hold for your painting?
More exploration and continuing to follow where the path leads me. My painting practice is all about curiosity, consistency, learning and growth.
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
My next interview is with Victoria Villasana, an artist working with photographic imagery and textiles from Guadalajara, Mexico. Victoria tells stories through pattern and color; often weaving together historical images with contemporary elements inspired by pop art, fashion, and multiculturalism. In this interview, Victoria discusses her experiences living in Mexico and London, and shares the inspiration behind her dynamic and colorful works of art that have gained international attention.
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Hi Victoria! Tell me about your background and where your creative journey began.
It began when I was a child, I used to love painting and making dresses for my dolls, then my path was not a straight line. I studied design in Mexico, but I always felt like a closet artist. Later on I moved to London and life took me to explore other mediums like floristry and fashion. I was always doing something creative on the side, what I do now used to be my hobby.
How have your experiences living in Mexico and London shaped your work as an artist?
I believe everything we do, learn and explore help us with our creative process. I think the colors and textile traditions from indigenous people in Mexico has influenced my work, but also the multiculturalism of the streets of London. I moved around London a lot, so I lived in different areas and I had the opportunity to experienced different cultural communities and observe very closely how we all relate somehow. This was an incredible experience because it was like moving to different parts of their world each year. The contrast and nuances that each culture had inspired my work in some way.
Your work is incredibly unique in that you combine photographic imagery with textiles - telling stories through color and patterns. Can you tell me about the narratives you create within your work?
I tend to create work with topics that I find relevant or that I'm currently exploring. I like to look at the past and see all the tradition and history and revive it with a more contemporary approach, mixing mediums that don't normally work, or mixing pop culture, social causes and the spirit of our humanity and how they can relate.
Where do you find inspiration for your work?
Everywhere - books, documentaries, nature, history, philosophy, spirituality. I feel inspired by strong social movements throughout history. I'm interested in characters that change and questioned the status quo of our times. I think is really important to be interested in other things that do not necessarily relate to art directly.
You also paint murals with textile details on the sides of buildings. When did you start bringing your work into the streets of Mexico, and what impact do you hope to create by doing so?
I started creating street art when I was in London and continue to do now in Mexico and everywhere I go. I don't really try to create an impact, I just do it because I like sharing it with people, I do it for people that normally feel intimidated by art galleries.
See images of Victoria's street art below:
It began when I was a child, I used to love painting and making dresses for my dolls, then my path was not a straight line. I studied design in Mexico, but I always felt like a closet artist. Later on I moved to London and life took me to explore other mediums like floristry and fashion. I was always doing something creative on the side, what I do now used to be my hobby.
How have your experiences living in Mexico and London shaped your work as an artist?
I believe everything we do, learn and explore help us with our creative process. I think the colors and textile traditions from indigenous people in Mexico has influenced my work, but also the multiculturalism of the streets of London. I moved around London a lot, so I lived in different areas and I had the opportunity to experienced different cultural communities and observe very closely how we all relate somehow. This was an incredible experience because it was like moving to different parts of their world each year. The contrast and nuances that each culture had inspired my work in some way.
Your work is incredibly unique in that you combine photographic imagery with textiles - telling stories through color and patterns. Can you tell me about the narratives you create within your work?
I tend to create work with topics that I find relevant or that I'm currently exploring. I like to look at the past and see all the tradition and history and revive it with a more contemporary approach, mixing mediums that don't normally work, or mixing pop culture, social causes and the spirit of our humanity and how they can relate.
Where do you find inspiration for your work?
Everywhere - books, documentaries, nature, history, philosophy, spirituality. I feel inspired by strong social movements throughout history. I'm interested in characters that change and questioned the status quo of our times. I think is really important to be interested in other things that do not necessarily relate to art directly.
You also paint murals with textile details on the sides of buildings. When did you start bringing your work into the streets of Mexico, and what impact do you hope to create by doing so?
I started creating street art when I was in London and continue to do now in Mexico and everywhere I go. I don't really try to create an impact, I just do it because I like sharing it with people, I do it for people that normally feel intimidated by art galleries.
See images of Victoria's street art below:
When did you join Instagram, and how has it impacted you as an artist?
I believe I joined in 2013-2014 but I used to post more about fashion. Around 2015 is when I first started sharing some of my early work with image and textile. Instagram has been amazing for me. 99% of my work gets sold through there.
Where do you hope to see yourself and your work in 10 years?
I don't know, perhaps I’ll move back to Europe, and I would like to create more installations and experiment with mediums while using textiles. I know textiles is my medium, I would just like to express it in different ways.
Sunday, April 19, 2020
My next interview is with painter Mallery Jane, living and working in Chicago. Mallery's stunning landscapes verge on abstraction while referencing places she's visited across the United States. Inspired by the lush scenery of the Pacific Northwest, Mallery's pine tree paintings transport the viewer to a place of solitude and tranquility. In this interview, Mallery discusses her work as both an artist and educator, and shares her experiences hiking, camping, and exploring the great outdoors.
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Hi Mallery! Tell me about your background and where your creative journey began.
I was always drawing as a kid and grew up as the kid in class everyone came to for their drawing needs! I went to Arizona State University for Art Education and was able to take a variety of art courses. To be honest, art has always come easy and I feel like I hindered myself because I didn't push myself until a few years ago. I believe natural talent is a small part of someone's success, maybe 10-30%. The 70-90% is really about working hard everyday and pushing yourself to learn and practice even when you don't feel creative. I've seen so much growth in my art in the last 2 years than what I had all through college.
I was always drawing as a kid and grew up as the kid in class everyone came to for their drawing needs! I went to Arizona State University for Art Education and was able to take a variety of art courses. To be honest, art has always come easy and I feel like I hindered myself because I didn't push myself until a few years ago. I believe natural talent is a small part of someone's success, maybe 10-30%. The 70-90% is really about working hard everyday and pushing yourself to learn and practice even when you don't feel creative. I've seen so much growth in my art in the last 2 years than what I had all through college.
Your landscape paintings evoke a sense of being at peace in nature. How have your experiences outdoors impacted your work?
As a kid I went camping with my family every summer and have always loved experiencing the seasons to the fullest. I love to ski in the winter and hike in the other seasons. In college hiking/camping was the cheapest activity for 8-15 people so most weekends I spent with friends in the mountains. When I'm in nature I always feel this weight off my shoulders.
As a kid I went camping with my family every summer and have always loved experiencing the seasons to the fullest. I love to ski in the winter and hike in the other seasons. In college hiking/camping was the cheapest activity for 8-15 people so most weekends I spent with friends in the mountains. When I'm in nature I always feel this weight off my shoulders.
When I came across your work, I immediately thought of the Pacific Northwest; overcast skies, luscious pine trees, and giant snow capped mountains. Is there a specific region that inspires your work?
I definitely have travelled a lot and take inspiration from lots of places but am tied more to the PNW! My favorite thing to paint/draw has always been pine trees, I'm obsessed!
While many of your paintings verge on abstraction, others depict the natural world in a more representational manner. What inspired your artistic style, and how has it developed over the years?
Oh man, this one is still an everyday adventure! I am still finding the balance every time I paint with being realistic vs abstract with my subject. I think in order to do an abstract landscape you have to first be able to do it realistic so you know what you can and cannot take away. My goal every time I paint has always been to try and leave the brush strokes very visible and intentional. I love seeing an individual brush stroke and knowing that specific brush stroke turned that blob into a tree.
Can you tell me about your process for creating a painting?
Depending on what medium I am working with it varies slightly, but for acrylic I will start with a thumbnail sketch in my sketchbook to get the composition and focus of the piece. Then I will layer gesso and usually orange on my canvas so I have a base layer. This helps for two different reasons, one if a little part shows through it isn't white, which is considered a highlight color, and two because when I do my highlights they will pop more from being on top of orange vs putting white on white. Than I will block in my landscape with a black made from a few different colors. After my landscape is blocked in I can start going through and defining my shapes with the actual colors on top.
Which artists have influenced your work?
I am always finding new artist that I love! Some of my all time favorites are, Randy Hayashi, Mike Svob, Chris Firger, Sarah Moore, Danika Ostrowski and Amanda Hawkins.
When did you join Instagram, and how has it impacted you as an artist?
I joined instagram back in December 2015 and my account was first used for an outdoor apparel company I owned with two other girls called Vinture Apparel. I worked on the graphic designs for the shirts and social media. We ended up closing the company in January 2018 and I officially switched the account to Mallery Jane in June of 2018. Instagram impacted my art in almost every way possible. It allowed me to be inspired by other artists, feel validated for the artwork I was posting, and realized people would pay for my artwork. If it wasn't for instagram I don't know if I would have ever thought being a full time artist was possible. I've been teaching art in the public schools for the last five years and am hoping to become a full time artist within the next year or two.
Thursday, April 16, 2020
In this interview, I chat with watercolor painter Kay Sirikul, based in Manhattan, NY. Born in Thailand and living in New York, Kay discusses the city's vibrant art community and its influence on her work. Kay also shares her process for creating ethereal flower paintings as well as the importance of meditation to her art practice.
Photographer: Apiwich Bangrapimolpong
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Hi Kay! Tell me about your background and where your creative journey began.
I grew up with the love of art, which was encouraged by my parents during my childhood. When I was in Thailand, after I graduated, I worked as a freelance designer. I loved traveling to other places outside of where I lived in Bangkok and kept finding ways that I could work while spending time in other towns, mostly near the beach. I always had my watercolor tools with me and used watercolor to record my memories and the impressions of nature around me.
I continued doing my art when I moved to New York. The art world here inspired me to push myself further into the art community and encouraged me to show my work to the public. I became a full time artist. My artwork developed a deeper meaning since I moved to New York.
Your paintings of watercolor flowers immediately stood out to me as they verge on abstraction. While parts of the flower are painted representationally, the rest appears to be washed out under layers of color. Can you tell me about your process and what inspired this series?
I used to paint things around me as my memories, so most of my early paintings are more realistic and representative. I’ve also always practiced meditation and the philosophy of Buddhism. The two things began to merge. I began to see the form of nature as a metaphor of lives. The more I paint, the more I connect to myself and the painting rather than focusing on the reality of the object that I am painting.
The process of my painting begins from meditation and finding the connection between forms of nature around myself at the time — either real objects or photographs — and the stories that come into my mind. I pay attention to the object that I paint, color and materials in the beginning and then it naturally shifts to the inner thought and I let everything flow from that process. I allow the drip and marks to happen as an acceptance of imperfection.
What led you to focus on watercolor as your primary choice of medium?
I love the simplicity and lightness of watercolor and the way you can control and can’t control it. Also, watercolors have a certain uniqueness of colors that blend together and a stroke that can’t be replicated with other
mediums.
In addition to your flowers, you created a series of paintings depicting Guanyin, the female buddha. What inspired you to create this work, and what do you hope viewers will take away from this series?
My Guanyin series started from the concept of my solo exhibition “Flower Offering” at AG Gallery. I wanted to create a sacred space through installation, something that I feel in my studio. The repetition of the works in the series was emblematic of my meditative practice. I painted Guanyin's face repeatedly, from memory, in periods of around 30 minutes daily as a meditation session. The paintings of the Guanyin series were intended to provide calmness and highlight a sanctuary of female energy. I also exhibited flower paintings in that show, where each of the flower paintings represented individual positives based on the type of flower.
How has your work shifted and evolved over the years?
My work is shifting toward abstraction, repetition, and combinations of methods and materials such as fabric and sewing. I’m trying to use more local materials and natural products. Evolution-wise, I’ve become more interested with what happens within the form than the form itself. The forms have become containers, in a way. My paintings are reacting to the surfaces, materials, strokes, and the act of painting. I’ve been going where it takes me.
How has living in New York City influenced your life and work?
New York has changed me to become more confident in being myself and my work is the result of that. I am also very grateful to have gotten to know so many fellow artists, and to be communicating with them verbally and visually. New York is blessed with an amazing community of incredible artists.
What advice would you give to emerging artists who are hoping to find success in the art world?
I always believe in faith. Be faithful to who you are and have faith in your work. Knowing that you can create something meaningful — either for others or yourself — is the key of success or happiness. Success is very abstract or unreal because it’s a shifting term. I think happiness is what we should focus on.
When did you join Instagram, and how has it impacted you as an artist?
I can’t remember when I first started but I think I've used it since it first came out. Mostly, in the beginning, I just posted pictures of flowers, places, and dogs to share with friends and the instagram community. Then later it became a good tool for me to connect to other artists and art lovers. I love keeping up with what my fellow artists are doing in their studios, and I appreciate the immediate feedback that I can get about what I am doing in my studio.
I grew up with the love of art, which was encouraged by my parents during my childhood. When I was in Thailand, after I graduated, I worked as a freelance designer. I loved traveling to other places outside of where I lived in Bangkok and kept finding ways that I could work while spending time in other towns, mostly near the beach. I always had my watercolor tools with me and used watercolor to record my memories and the impressions of nature around me.
I continued doing my art when I moved to New York. The art world here inspired me to push myself further into the art community and encouraged me to show my work to the public. I became a full time artist. My artwork developed a deeper meaning since I moved to New York.
Your paintings of watercolor flowers immediately stood out to me as they verge on abstraction. While parts of the flower are painted representationally, the rest appears to be washed out under layers of color. Can you tell me about your process and what inspired this series?
I used to paint things around me as my memories, so most of my early paintings are more realistic and representative. I’ve also always practiced meditation and the philosophy of Buddhism. The two things began to merge. I began to see the form of nature as a metaphor of lives. The more I paint, the more I connect to myself and the painting rather than focusing on the reality of the object that I am painting.
The process of my painting begins from meditation and finding the connection between forms of nature around myself at the time — either real objects or photographs — and the stories that come into my mind. I pay attention to the object that I paint, color and materials in the beginning and then it naturally shifts to the inner thought and I let everything flow from that process. I allow the drip and marks to happen as an acceptance of imperfection.
What led you to focus on watercolor as your primary choice of medium?
I love the simplicity and lightness of watercolor and the way you can control and can’t control it. Also, watercolors have a certain uniqueness of colors that blend together and a stroke that can’t be replicated with other
mediums.
In addition to your flowers, you created a series of paintings depicting Guanyin, the female buddha. What inspired you to create this work, and what do you hope viewers will take away from this series?
My Guanyin series started from the concept of my solo exhibition “Flower Offering” at AG Gallery. I wanted to create a sacred space through installation, something that I feel in my studio. The repetition of the works in the series was emblematic of my meditative practice. I painted Guanyin's face repeatedly, from memory, in periods of around 30 minutes daily as a meditation session. The paintings of the Guanyin series were intended to provide calmness and highlight a sanctuary of female energy. I also exhibited flower paintings in that show, where each of the flower paintings represented individual positives based on the type of flower.
How has your work shifted and evolved over the years?
My work is shifting toward abstraction, repetition, and combinations of methods and materials such as fabric and sewing. I’m trying to use more local materials and natural products. Evolution-wise, I’ve become more interested with what happens within the form than the form itself. The forms have become containers, in a way. My paintings are reacting to the surfaces, materials, strokes, and the act of painting. I’ve been going where it takes me.
How has living in New York City influenced your life and work?
New York has changed me to become more confident in being myself and my work is the result of that. I am also very grateful to have gotten to know so many fellow artists, and to be communicating with them verbally and visually. New York is blessed with an amazing community of incredible artists.
What advice would you give to emerging artists who are hoping to find success in the art world?
I always believe in faith. Be faithful to who you are and have faith in your work. Knowing that you can create something meaningful — either for others or yourself — is the key of success or happiness. Success is very abstract or unreal because it’s a shifting term. I think happiness is what we should focus on.
When did you join Instagram, and how has it impacted you as an artist?
I can’t remember when I first started but I think I've used it since it first came out. Mostly, in the beginning, I just posted pictures of flowers, places, and dogs to share with friends and the instagram community. Then later it became a good tool for me to connect to other artists and art lovers. I love keeping up with what my fellow artists are doing in their studios, and I appreciate the immediate feedback that I can get about what I am doing in my studio.
Monday, April 13, 2020
My next interview is with artist and creative entrepreneur Ekaterina Popova! Kat paints interior spaces with a focus on color and light - capturing the mood and emotion of each environment she depicts. Her dreamy paintings portray intimate spaces, such as her own bedroom, and relate to the notion of home - an idea that Kat continues to explore in her work. In addition to painting, Kat founded Create Magazine; a publication that showcases the work of contemporary artists. She is also an author, creator of the Art & Cocktails podcast, and most recently, founder of The Art Queens; a global mentorship program for women creatives.
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Hi Kat! Tell me about your background and where your creative journey began.
I was raised in Russia and lived there until 2001, when my mom and I moved to the US. I remember always being creative in some way. As a kid, I would sculpt with clay, make clothes for my barbies, and was always drawing or painting. Painting is the only medium that stuck with me over the years, and I got more and more into it in high-school, and eventually pursued a BFA in fine arts.
How has your work as an artist shifted and evolved over the years?
When I first seriously committed to painting, I was working with a lot of abstract florals. Years into college, I was interested in the way that art can help us heal. At the time, my paintings got dark and nostalgic, and I would attempt to paint my emotional experience as an immigrant.
As I developed my interests and became more confident in myself as a person, as well as in my aesthetic, I started to embrace more feminine parts of myself within my work. It's an ever going evolution; for me, it's allowing all the intimate parts of me that I am not entirely comfortable with to heal and come to the surface through my artwork.
Where do you find inspiration for your work, and what led you to focus on interior spaces?
When I first started painting the interior, I worked on paintings from my past: images of Russia and photos of my old apartment. Eventually, I started to acknowledge the beauty around me and became inspired by my own spaces. I manipulate the interiors both within the painting, but also by arranging furniture, adding plants and textiles in real life to achieve the desired emotion I'm after in my work. Everything becomes art!
In addition to painting, you founded Create Magazine, a publication that celebrates and promotes contemporary artists. What inspired you to launch this project, and where do you hope to see the magazine in the next five years?
When I first launched the magazine, it was due to my own need for opportunities. I couldn't find a job in the arts but desperately wanted to be a part of the art world. I had so much passion and many ideas, but no outlet. I loved supporting other artists, and at the time, the only possible solution was to start something of my own, which is how the magazine was born. I didn't have any skills or publishing experience and figured it our over the years using Google and online education.
In the next five years, I see us doing more in-person events, conferences retreats, and going beyond the pages. I had the pleasure of curating several exhibitions, and the most impactful moments are meeting other artists and members of our community. Having support is crucial in the arts, especially during this time.
I'm a huge fan of your podcast, Art & Cocktails, where you interview a wide range of artists and creative entrepreneurs. How has this podcast impacted you as both an artist and creative person?
Thank you! The podcast was a great way for me to overcome my shyness. Shortly after launching it, I started getting invited to teach, present, and speak in public. I was also able to get to know the artists that I admire on a more intimate level. It's been a call for me to level up my practice as an artist and leader. I love it!
Recently, you launched The Art Queens, a mentorship program for women creatives. What do you hope members will achieve through this program?
Over the years, I was fortunate enough to work with several mentors who helped me achieve amazing results, offered me support and accountability in my life and art career. Coaching and mentorship are relatively unknown, or at least publicly in the visual arts, and I wanted to open the door for women to build their communities and grow together.
I know how much personal development has helped me thrive, overcome money blocks, and allow myself and my work to be seen. I want other women artists to experience the same and more through 1:1 coaching, online courses, and membership. It's been a fulfilling platform so far, and I can't wait to push it further.
When did you join Instagram, and how has it impacted you as an artist?
I joined Instagram in 2013, and I had no idea how to use it, haha! I got really into it with the magazine, but it took me a few years to figure out how to use it for my work. I do a lot of my business and sell artwork on Instagram, so I'm grateful that this platform exists and helps us break out of old institutional prisons!
Where do you hope to see yourself and your work in 10 years?
I hope to be bolder, take more risks within my paintings, and host more in-person events and retreats for artists in my community. I hope to use my work and platforms to give permission to other artists (especially women) to shine and allow their dreams to manifest.
Friday, April 10, 2020
My latest interview is with painter Xiao Wang, based in Brooklyn, NY. I was drawn to Xiao's work when I discovered his otherworldly paintings on Instagram earlier this year. In this interview, Xiao discusses the prominent role of landscape in his work, as well as the mysterious, uncanny atmosphere he creates within each piece.
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Hi Xiao! Tell me about your background and how you initially became involved in the arts.
I have always been making art as far as I can remember. I grew up in China, my family were very supportive of me learning art so I spent a lot of time on it. After high school, I had an opportunity to study in an art school in Scotland, that’s when my path to becoming an artist really began.
Your paintings often depict the human figure immersed in a landscape that appears exotic and other-worldly. Can you talk a bit about the narrative you create within your paintings?
I’ve been interested in landscape as a subject matter in the recent years. It’s an interesting subject because landscape is rarely about landscape itself. Some landscapes are about particular visions of the artists, some are about nationalism, some are about expressions of feelings, and some are about the display of powers. Landscape itself is almost always secondary to men’s ego.
What I’m trying to do in my painting is letting the ego retreat to the secondary place, and let the landscape overtake, or overwhelm the figures.
One element that immediately stood out to me was your color palette; you often use purples, greens, and blues - creating an almost ultraviolet effect within your work. What drew you to this palette, and how do your color choices contribute to each painting?
There have been many trials and errors over the years. I eventually landed on the palette that I often use right now because it speaks to the uncanny atmosphere I like to create. It is tricky because while I love complex colors, I don’t want my paintings to look “flashy”. So I have to suppress the urge to put too many colors into one piece to preserve the subtlety, and subtlety is the key to create uncanny-ness. I want my paintings to be beautiful while not entirely comfortable to enjoy.
Your paintings are incredibly detailed and realistic. What are some of the challenges you face when painting, and how do you overcome those obstacles?
First challenge is the beginning stage. Especially when I start a large piece, it is hard to know where to begin, and completing the first layer is probably the most stressful part of the work. Another challenge is the techniques. I often get bored of painting things that are too simple so a lot of times I end up setting up myself for too much of a challenge. Every time I work on something large I always have to go through a learning curve because when I plan the piece I don’t usually think about whether it’s doable or not.
Can you tell me a bit about your process and technique?
I paint from photographs – so I always start with one or several of them. I have a collection of source materials so it is kind of like going to a library and looking for things you might be interested in. Then I usually play with them (i.e changing colors, collage) in photoshop to get ideas. Some of them become paintings, some don’t. When it comes to the painting part, I usually do at least 3 layers in order to achieve a certain depth in colors. Each layer is pretty thin so they all support each other.
How have your paintings evolved over time?
My technique hasn’t changed that much over time, but I think what really changed is whether I know what I want to paint.
When did you join Instagram and how has it impacted you as an artist?
I started using Instagram in 2014, but I didn’t start considering it as a legit way to present my art until 2 years later. It just started picking up the pace within the last year, before that it was really just kept between me and my friends.
I actually received a lot of exposure through Instagram. Even better, I have been selling art through the platform and picked up other opportunities as well.
I have always been making art as far as I can remember. I grew up in China, my family were very supportive of me learning art so I spent a lot of time on it. After high school, I had an opportunity to study in an art school in Scotland, that’s when my path to becoming an artist really began.
Your paintings often depict the human figure immersed in a landscape that appears exotic and other-worldly. Can you talk a bit about the narrative you create within your paintings?
I’ve been interested in landscape as a subject matter in the recent years. It’s an interesting subject because landscape is rarely about landscape itself. Some landscapes are about particular visions of the artists, some are about nationalism, some are about expressions of feelings, and some are about the display of powers. Landscape itself is almost always secondary to men’s ego.
What I’m trying to do in my painting is letting the ego retreat to the secondary place, and let the landscape overtake, or overwhelm the figures.
One element that immediately stood out to me was your color palette; you often use purples, greens, and blues - creating an almost ultraviolet effect within your work. What drew you to this palette, and how do your color choices contribute to each painting?
There have been many trials and errors over the years. I eventually landed on the palette that I often use right now because it speaks to the uncanny atmosphere I like to create. It is tricky because while I love complex colors, I don’t want my paintings to look “flashy”. So I have to suppress the urge to put too many colors into one piece to preserve the subtlety, and subtlety is the key to create uncanny-ness. I want my paintings to be beautiful while not entirely comfortable to enjoy.
Your paintings are incredibly detailed and realistic. What are some of the challenges you face when painting, and how do you overcome those obstacles?
First challenge is the beginning stage. Especially when I start a large piece, it is hard to know where to begin, and completing the first layer is probably the most stressful part of the work. Another challenge is the techniques. I often get bored of painting things that are too simple so a lot of times I end up setting up myself for too much of a challenge. Every time I work on something large I always have to go through a learning curve because when I plan the piece I don’t usually think about whether it’s doable or not.
Can you tell me a bit about your process and technique?
I paint from photographs – so I always start with one or several of them. I have a collection of source materials so it is kind of like going to a library and looking for things you might be interested in. Then I usually play with them (i.e changing colors, collage) in photoshop to get ideas. Some of them become paintings, some don’t. When it comes to the painting part, I usually do at least 3 layers in order to achieve a certain depth in colors. Each layer is pretty thin so they all support each other.
How have your paintings evolved over time?
My technique hasn’t changed that much over time, but I think what really changed is whether I know what I want to paint.
When did you join Instagram and how has it impacted you as an artist?
I started using Instagram in 2014, but I didn’t start considering it as a legit way to present my art until 2 years later. It just started picking up the pace within the last year, before that it was really just kept between me and my friends.
I actually received a lot of exposure through Instagram. Even better, I have been selling art through the platform and picked up other opportunities as well.
Tuesday, April 7, 2020
Artist: Danielle Krysa, aka The Jealous Curator
Instagram: daniellekrysaart + thejealouscurator
Website: www.thejealouscurator.com
www.modfellows.com/shop?category=Danielle+Krysa
Instagram: daniellekrysaart + thejealouscurator
Website: www.thejealouscurator.com
www.modfellows.com/shop?category=Danielle+Krysa
My latest interview is with Danielle Krysa, also known as The Jealous Curator. In 2009 Danielle created an Instagram account and art blog that features a wide range of work by contemporary artists. The Jealous Curator has since garnered an enormous following on social media, with over 200K followers on Instagram. In this interview, Danielle discusses what led her to launch this project, and shares her own journey as an artist and creative leader.
Hi Danielle! Tell me about your background and how you initially became involved in the arts.
My mom is an artist so I’ve been making art since I was a baby. Literally. I ended up going to art school - which was a terrible experience - took a 15 year hiatus, and then got back into the art world when I started The Jealous Curator in 2009.
Your artwork blends collage elements with colorful strokes of paint, texture, and oftentimes tongue-in-cheek captions. What inspires the work you create today and how has your work shifted and evolved over time?
In art school, I was told to remove the humor I was putting into my work - I “wouldn’t be taken seriously” if I made funny art. It took a long time, but I finally tossed that out the window and embraced my personality and infused it into my mixed media work. I am totally inspired by images I find in old books, and lately I’m a bit obsessed with working costume jewelry into everything I do!
Can you tell me a bit about your process and technique?
I always start with a big fat juicy paint stroke and then go from there. I let the narrative build from there, instead of having a plan going in. It rarely works when I have a tight plan… so much better to just go with the flow!
In addition to being an artist, you also founded The Jealous Curator; a blog and Instagram account that showcases a wide range of contemporary art. What led you to launch this project and how has it grown over the years?
I started my blog because I was in fact jealous of everyone who was living a creative life. I wanted that so badly, but after art school and my self-imposed hiatus, I was lost. I started TJC because that jealousy was toxic, but when I said it out loud - in a positive way - I was able to turn it into admiration. It’s been 11 years now, and I haven’t looked back.
Your podcast, Art For Your Ear, continues to explore the contemporary art world through a series of interviews with artists. How has your podcast impacted you as both an artist and a creative person?
It’s been a life-changer for me as an artist. I’ve recorded just over 170 episodes, and hearing the stories of so many artists inspires me to keep pushing my artwork forward too!
My mom is an artist so I’ve been making art since I was a baby. Literally. I ended up going to art school - which was a terrible experience - took a 15 year hiatus, and then got back into the art world when I started The Jealous Curator in 2009.
Your artwork blends collage elements with colorful strokes of paint, texture, and oftentimes tongue-in-cheek captions. What inspires the work you create today and how has your work shifted and evolved over time?
In art school, I was told to remove the humor I was putting into my work - I “wouldn’t be taken seriously” if I made funny art. It took a long time, but I finally tossed that out the window and embraced my personality and infused it into my mixed media work. I am totally inspired by images I find in old books, and lately I’m a bit obsessed with working costume jewelry into everything I do!
Can you tell me a bit about your process and technique?
I always start with a big fat juicy paint stroke and then go from there. I let the narrative build from there, instead of having a plan going in. It rarely works when I have a tight plan… so much better to just go with the flow!
In addition to being an artist, you also founded The Jealous Curator; a blog and Instagram account that showcases a wide range of contemporary art. What led you to launch this project and how has it grown over the years?
I started my blog because I was in fact jealous of everyone who was living a creative life. I wanted that so badly, but after art school and my self-imposed hiatus, I was lost. I started TJC because that jealousy was toxic, but when I said it out loud - in a positive way - I was able to turn it into admiration. It’s been 11 years now, and I haven’t looked back.
Your podcast, Art For Your Ear, continues to explore the contemporary art world through a series of interviews with artists. How has your podcast impacted you as both an artist and a creative person?
It’s been a life-changer for me as an artist. I’ve recorded just over 170 episodes, and hearing the stories of so many artists inspires me to keep pushing my artwork forward too!
Saturday, April 4, 2020
Artist: Bryan Young
Instagram: branyoungstudios
Website: www.bryanyoungstudios.org
Artist: Bryan Young
Instagram: branyoungstudios
Website: www.bryanyoungstudios.org
My next interview is with Bryan Young, an artist based in Minneapolis. Bryan's paintings have gained attention across the U.S, and his work has been featured in the film "What is Life Worth?" starring Stanley Tucci and Michael Keaton. From landscape painting to collage work, Bryan discusses his journey as both a plein air painter and abstract artist. He shares his creative process, what inspired him to delve into abstraction, and offers advice for emerging artists who are hoping to find success in the art world.
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Tell me about your background and how you initially became involved in the arts.
I have been involved in the creative process as long as I can remember. I use the term creative process because I don’t see a difference between creating visual art and other forms of creativity. I think I have a general curiosity about making things that lends itself to making things. It has taken me a long time to build that type of confidence in knowing that there are interesting ways to make things and if I pursue a course of creativity I will eventually find an outlet. Sort of pursuing an aesthetic that leads my work. The idea of Robert Pirsig’s book, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and the pursuit of quality.
From grade school to college I was involved in the visual arts either through classes or as a side project. After high school I studied art at Hope College and learned some interesting lessons from the program there. Not so much about how to make art but rather what the process should be like and what makes it interesting. This focus was labeled as a liberal arts degree and included philosophy, art, science and education. During college I studied art with an emphasis on painting, after college I was a sculptor for a number of years in stone and bronze and slowly drifted back to painting.
As a painter, you focus mainly on landscapes and waterscapes. What led you to paint the natural world?
When I got back into painting about 15 years ago I had some friends who were landscape painters and I had never studied that so I figured it would be worth my time. It was. I really learned a lot but it didn’t take long until my curiosity got the best of me.
I see my work as much broader than my Moving Water series. I have several series of works that I think are relevant to me and how I approach painting. My Night Ice series consists of oil paintings painted plein air in my car at night on location under the lights of a local hockey rink. I had the curator of drawing at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts collect a piece from that series. Another series involved ducks at the local creek. I spent months drawing and painting on location trying to capture something of the experience.
That led to the Moving Water series which opened up a whole new way of working and thinking. I began to experiment with paper.
That led me into my Lake Series which included more geometric uses of composition to convey the Great Lakes using a more regional palette. During that time my work attracted the attention of the director of the movie, “What is Life Worth?” starring Michael Keaton and Stanley Tucci. The movie is based on the book by Kenneth Feinberg. It tells the story of the 9/11 litigation fund. Two of my pieces were purchased to hang in Michael Keaton’s (Feinberg's office).
Now I have expanded the creative process further to include the Hyland Hills series. I ski almost daily at Hyland Hills, a ski hill in south Minneapolis and love the colors of the kids ski gear contrasted with the natural environment of snow and cold. This led to a group of collages that have been fascinating to work on. They are really challenging and offer a wider palette range.
The thread that continues through them all is my curiosity and how to convey my experiences in a way that contains some quality.
I think I’m in a great place now to work in any way I choose. I have clients constantly contacting me with ideas that are really interesting and I find it very satisfying to hash out creative ideas and then bring them to life.
When painting water, you’re able to achieve a strong sense of visual movement in each piece. What compelled you to paint water, and what are some of the challenges with this subject matter?
The Moving Water Series was a way to paint water in a way that is moving. That was the point. Color and composition were not at the forefront of my mind in the traditional sense. I wanted to make the paint feel like it moves. Not the form of water or the reflection or the mood, just the movement.
Do you paint outdoors, from photographs, or a combination of both?
I painted on location for years. My Night Ice series was almost exclusively on location. After a couple winters of that I brought ideas into the studio and recreated some smaller plein air works. When I look at that series now I still really like some of the work but I have slowly moved away from working from life. The most recent example of this is my Hyland Hills series. I tried to recreate the visual experience representationally and it didn’t work so I reworked the idea as abstractions and am much more pleased with the outcome. Now I work almost exclusively in the studio.
In addition to painting, you also create collages using colored paper cut into geometric and organic shapes. What led you to collage work, and how is this work different or similar to your landscapes?
Before the collages I developed the Lake Series, my abstractions of the Great Lakes where I live. The Lake Series was initially a group of paintings but I slowly added collage to add detail, contrast or affect. This slowly began to transform into less geometric forms into more organic forms with the use of cut paper. The assembly became more the process for me and the feel of the work changed. I like both series and will continue to develop the ideas over time.
When did you join Instagram, and how has it impacted you as an artist?
I began my Instagram account a couple years ago. It provided a way to extend my audience. It has been much slower to grow than my studio though. I know the quality of work is high and content is valuable but Instagram has not extended my reach to the level where I would like it to be. I have been told this takes some time so we’ll see where it goes. My site has been great, however, and allowed me to reach a whole new clientele for my work.
What does the future hold for your painting?
I love what I’m doing now. My work continues to get stronger and there is a growing movement of collectors of my work. It has really been fun to see it grow and I plan on continuing to develop my paintings and collages.
How were you able to find success as a painter, and what advice would you give to emerging artists?
I have been working so long it’s hard to remember what it was like. When I started there was no internet and artists were almost exclusively tied to galleries. That isn’t the case anymore. Although there are more artists working, social media and self-made sites allow for artists to control their own work and to get it out to a larger audience. My suggestion to young artists would be to keep working and learning. There is great value in the process.
I have been involved in the creative process as long as I can remember. I use the term creative process because I don’t see a difference between creating visual art and other forms of creativity. I think I have a general curiosity about making things that lends itself to making things. It has taken me a long time to build that type of confidence in knowing that there are interesting ways to make things and if I pursue a course of creativity I will eventually find an outlet. Sort of pursuing an aesthetic that leads my work. The idea of Robert Pirsig’s book, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and the pursuit of quality.
From grade school to college I was involved in the visual arts either through classes or as a side project. After high school I studied art at Hope College and learned some interesting lessons from the program there. Not so much about how to make art but rather what the process should be like and what makes it interesting. This focus was labeled as a liberal arts degree and included philosophy, art, science and education. During college I studied art with an emphasis on painting, after college I was a sculptor for a number of years in stone and bronze and slowly drifted back to painting.
As a painter, you focus mainly on landscapes and waterscapes. What led you to paint the natural world?
When I got back into painting about 15 years ago I had some friends who were landscape painters and I had never studied that so I figured it would be worth my time. It was. I really learned a lot but it didn’t take long until my curiosity got the best of me.
I see my work as much broader than my Moving Water series. I have several series of works that I think are relevant to me and how I approach painting. My Night Ice series consists of oil paintings painted plein air in my car at night on location under the lights of a local hockey rink. I had the curator of drawing at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts collect a piece from that series. Another series involved ducks at the local creek. I spent months drawing and painting on location trying to capture something of the experience.
That led to the Moving Water series which opened up a whole new way of working and thinking. I began to experiment with paper.
That led me into my Lake Series which included more geometric uses of composition to convey the Great Lakes using a more regional palette. During that time my work attracted the attention of the director of the movie, “What is Life Worth?” starring Michael Keaton and Stanley Tucci. The movie is based on the book by Kenneth Feinberg. It tells the story of the 9/11 litigation fund. Two of my pieces were purchased to hang in Michael Keaton’s (Feinberg's office).
Now I have expanded the creative process further to include the Hyland Hills series. I ski almost daily at Hyland Hills, a ski hill in south Minneapolis and love the colors of the kids ski gear contrasted with the natural environment of snow and cold. This led to a group of collages that have been fascinating to work on. They are really challenging and offer a wider palette range.
The thread that continues through them all is my curiosity and how to convey my experiences in a way that contains some quality.
I think I’m in a great place now to work in any way I choose. I have clients constantly contacting me with ideas that are really interesting and I find it very satisfying to hash out creative ideas and then bring them to life.
When painting water, you’re able to achieve a strong sense of visual movement in each piece. What compelled you to paint water, and what are some of the challenges with this subject matter?
The Moving Water Series was a way to paint water in a way that is moving. That was the point. Color and composition were not at the forefront of my mind in the traditional sense. I wanted to make the paint feel like it moves. Not the form of water or the reflection or the mood, just the movement.
Do you paint outdoors, from photographs, or a combination of both?
I painted on location for years. My Night Ice series was almost exclusively on location. After a couple winters of that I brought ideas into the studio and recreated some smaller plein air works. When I look at that series now I still really like some of the work but I have slowly moved away from working from life. The most recent example of this is my Hyland Hills series. I tried to recreate the visual experience representationally and it didn’t work so I reworked the idea as abstractions and am much more pleased with the outcome. Now I work almost exclusively in the studio.
In addition to painting, you also create collages using colored paper cut into geometric and organic shapes. What led you to collage work, and how is this work different or similar to your landscapes?
Before the collages I developed the Lake Series, my abstractions of the Great Lakes where I live. The Lake Series was initially a group of paintings but I slowly added collage to add detail, contrast or affect. This slowly began to transform into less geometric forms into more organic forms with the use of cut paper. The assembly became more the process for me and the feel of the work changed. I like both series and will continue to develop the ideas over time.
When did you join Instagram, and how has it impacted you as an artist?
I began my Instagram account a couple years ago. It provided a way to extend my audience. It has been much slower to grow than my studio though. I know the quality of work is high and content is valuable but Instagram has not extended my reach to the level where I would like it to be. I have been told this takes some time so we’ll see where it goes. My site has been great, however, and allowed me to reach a whole new clientele for my work.
What does the future hold for your painting?
I love what I’m doing now. My work continues to get stronger and there is a growing movement of collectors of my work. It has really been fun to see it grow and I plan on continuing to develop my paintings and collages.
How were you able to find success as a painter, and what advice would you give to emerging artists?
I have been working so long it’s hard to remember what it was like. When I started there was no internet and artists were almost exclusively tied to galleries. That isn’t the case anymore. Although there are more artists working, social media and self-made sites allow for artists to control their own work and to get it out to a larger audience. My suggestion to young artists would be to keep working and learning. There is great value in the process.
In this interview, I chat with Austrian painter Christian Ruckerbauer, also known as Rucksi, about his famous wave paintings that garnered international attention through Instagram. Rucksi discusses the inspiration he draws from Fauvism and Abstract Expressionism, as well as his love for impasto and gestural, spontaneous painting.
Hi Christian! Tell me about your background and where your creative journey began.
I was born in a small village in Austria, in the midst of Europe in 1957. My father was a teacher and painter! I studied Visuelle Gestaltung at the Masterclass of Architect Laurids Ortner at Kunsthochschule Linz (now Kunstuniversität Linz). After that I was working as a Gallerist in Linz and Cologne (Germany) for 4 years, curating art shows of famous Austrian Artists such as Arnulf Rainer and others. After that I started to work as an art teacher (at bbs Rohrbach) and I continue to do that now!
When did you delve into abstract painting?
When I was 13 years old I did my first abstract painting consciously, inspired by the art books of my father (mostly impressionism, expressionism, Kandinsky). I always loved abstract and expressionism, fauvism, Van Gogh - everything with gesture, expression, impasto, color.
What inspired you to paint waves, and how have your wave paintings evolved over the years?
I had a commission for my wifes sister. She wanted a blue painting. When I looked at the finished painting, I discovered that it looked almost like water, waves. That was the point. I wanted to get deeper into this! So I started to move my brush like waves of water, expressing from inside my love of the sea, expressing the joy of moving like waves on the ocean.
Can you tell me a bit about your process and technique?
I use acrylic paint and I love to paint in a very messy style in my art studio. Expressing my feelings from inside very directly, spontaneously without much thinking directly on the canvas. No planning, no drawing ... just the fun and flow of putting colorful paint in my gestures on to the canvas. Almost like dancing. No time, just HERE and NOW! Life itself, expressing itself.
When did you join instagram, and how has it impacted you as an artist?
My students at school inspired me to join instagram in 2015! They told me to use hashtags! When some celebrities and artfeeds reposted my paintings my followers grew! So i started to sell my paintings in many countries! But as I earn my living by being a teacher, that is not so important. I love the feedback and I love to discover artists I would never have met in the museums (curators, there are a lot more great artists out there in the world!)
Which artists have inspired you the most?
Starting as a teen with the books in my father's library, I loved the Impressionists, Van Gogh, Gauguin and the Expressionists, Fauvists, Picasso, Soutine, and later on the Austrian artist Arnulf Rainer, the English artists Auerbach, Bacon, the American de Kooning and lot more.
What are you working on at the moment?
I am painting over prints of my own work, paraphrasing my most famous wave paintings.
I was born in a small village in Austria, in the midst of Europe in 1957. My father was a teacher and painter! I studied Visuelle Gestaltung at the Masterclass of Architect Laurids Ortner at Kunsthochschule Linz (now Kunstuniversität Linz). After that I was working as a Gallerist in Linz and Cologne (Germany) for 4 years, curating art shows of famous Austrian Artists such as Arnulf Rainer and others. After that I started to work as an art teacher (at bbs Rohrbach) and I continue to do that now!
When did you delve into abstract painting?
When I was 13 years old I did my first abstract painting consciously, inspired by the art books of my father (mostly impressionism, expressionism, Kandinsky). I always loved abstract and expressionism, fauvism, Van Gogh - everything with gesture, expression, impasto, color.
What inspired you to paint waves, and how have your wave paintings evolved over the years?
I had a commission for my wifes sister. She wanted a blue painting. When I looked at the finished painting, I discovered that it looked almost like water, waves. That was the point. I wanted to get deeper into this! So I started to move my brush like waves of water, expressing from inside my love of the sea, expressing the joy of moving like waves on the ocean.
Can you tell me a bit about your process and technique?
I use acrylic paint and I love to paint in a very messy style in my art studio. Expressing my feelings from inside very directly, spontaneously without much thinking directly on the canvas. No planning, no drawing ... just the fun and flow of putting colorful paint in my gestures on to the canvas. Almost like dancing. No time, just HERE and NOW! Life itself, expressing itself.
When did you join instagram, and how has it impacted you as an artist?
My students at school inspired me to join instagram in 2015! They told me to use hashtags! When some celebrities and artfeeds reposted my paintings my followers grew! So i started to sell my paintings in many countries! But as I earn my living by being a teacher, that is not so important. I love the feedback and I love to discover artists I would never have met in the museums (curators, there are a lot more great artists out there in the world!)
Which artists have inspired you the most?
Starting as a teen with the books in my father's library, I loved the Impressionists, Van Gogh, Gauguin and the Expressionists, Fauvists, Picasso, Soutine, and later on the Austrian artist Arnulf Rainer, the English artists Auerbach, Bacon, the American de Kooning and lot more.
What are you working on at the moment?
I am painting over prints of my own work, paraphrasing my most famous wave paintings.
Sunday, March 29, 2020
Artist: Svitlana Martynjuk
Instagram: Svitlana.m.fineart + all.she.makes
Website: www.allshemakes.org
My next interview is with Svitlana Martynjuk, painter and founder of All She Makes - a curated online directory for women creatives worldwide. In this interview, Svitlana shares her creative journey in the realm of abstraction, and discusses what inspired her to launch a digital platform that celebrates and promotes women in the arts.
Hi Svitlana! Tell me a bit about yourself and how you initially became involved in the arts.
I was born and raised in Rivne, Ukraine.I moved to the United States where I completed my education in Fine Art, Psychology, and Strategic Management. Inspired by the human mind and with a fascination for nature, I am a traveler at heart and appreciate experience through interaction and exploring the complexities of diversity in people. I always enjoyed art, always painted, and even wanted to become a fashion designer at some point. I started taking my painting practice seriously around 2016. By allowing myself to paint without limitations, I was able to develop a sense of what my practice meant to me and the ideas I wanted to convey through my work.
I currently work and reside in Michigan, USA. My portfolio includes a wide array of commissioned pieces, published book illustrations, and collaborations with West Elm and Minted, to name a few. My works primarily consist of watercolor and acrylic medium and I draw inspiration from the abstract expressionist movement, regarding the importance of feelings to be of significant creative interest.
I have always looked at my art from a business perspective, and doing so over time has allowed my career to blossom.
In addition to being a painter, you founded All She Makes - a digital platform that celebrates and empowers women artists. What led you to launch this project?
In the past few years I've been learning about the statistics around art made by women. To say that I was unpleasantly shocked by the lack of representation for women artists is an understatement. Because women artists are so underrepresented, it leaves us with no opportunities or places to exist or show our work. The National Museum of Women in the Arts (who we support through donations) has a list of studies on their website, which addresses the gender disparity. One example is: A data survey of the permanent collections of 18 prominent art museums in the U.S. found that out of over 10,000 artists, 87% are male, and 85% are white.
It's 2020, and museums are still doing a terrible job at showing work made by women, and the issue is even more problematic for women of color. I saw proof of this with my own eyes at one of our local museums recently: https://www.allshemakes.org/blog/lack-of-representation-in-museums-today
Where do you hope to see All She Makes in 5 years?
I hope to bridge the gap between women artists, galleries, and art organizations by bringing more awareness to the issue at hand, and highlighting quality work made by women artists. Social change is not easy to implement, but we can do it with our collective efforts. Would love to work with Venice Biennale, Miami Fairs, or Art Basel.
What advice do you have for other creative entrepreneurs?
Diversify your income streams! Lots of artists get stuck in one place due to various social stigmas surrounding creatives, but we have to remember to stick to what is most important to us. If you need to get a job to support your passion project, do that!
Another one: don't be afraid to fail! People don't often discuss their failed attempts, and we don't always see the full picture of what it is to be an entrepreneur. When we see someone's success, most likely there were trials, failures, and months or years of hard work. We, as a society, need to learn to talk about that part of the process more, so it doesn't sound so foreign.
Your abstract paintings are vibrant, colorful, and energetic. What led you to creating abstract work?
Interesting that you ask that, because I feel like my work is in the midst of a big transition. I am actually working with a mentor to help me through this process.
I was naturally drawn to abstracts as a kid and began creating them due to this fascination. Seeing the odd shapes and colors always intrigued me. I wanted to figure out why and how others did it. I painted for a few years with no significant progress, until at one point I decided to let go of all limitations and just paint.
What do you hope the viewer will take away from your work?
I want to communicate my story with my work. When I painted vibrant works, they were my safe space, my happiness, a place I was reaching for. That's what most of the viewers took from them as well. Lots of collectors own those pieces because they evoke feelings of peace.
Currently I am going through a transition in my work. I've been on a deep healing journey for the past year, and I finally progressed enough to be able to find that safe space I've been searching for. I am learning to look back at my past, see all the hurt, and just accept it as a part of my story. Now I need to learn how to tell that story, and what I want for the viewer to take from it.
When did you join instagram, and how has it impacted you as an artist?
I joined instagram as an artist around 2015. I used to be so preoccupied with ways to make my profile more interesting to people, but it just takes so much mental energy, and the reward is not even worth it. It seems like IG operates on gambler's fallacy principle, which creates a false sense of "figuring out" how the algorithm works, and IG profits off that. Likes and follows don't necessarily turn into sales, so I had to remember my main purpose for being on IG - sharing what I make and my thoughts with the world. This platform has been, without a doubt, a wonderful way of meeting new people and creating community.
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
I was born and raised in Rivne, Ukraine.I moved to the United States where I completed my education in Fine Art, Psychology, and Strategic Management. Inspired by the human mind and with a fascination for nature, I am a traveler at heart and appreciate experience through interaction and exploring the complexities of diversity in people. I always enjoyed art, always painted, and even wanted to become a fashion designer at some point. I started taking my painting practice seriously around 2016. By allowing myself to paint without limitations, I was able to develop a sense of what my practice meant to me and the ideas I wanted to convey through my work.
I currently work and reside in Michigan, USA. My portfolio includes a wide array of commissioned pieces, published book illustrations, and collaborations with West Elm and Minted, to name a few. My works primarily consist of watercolor and acrylic medium and I draw inspiration from the abstract expressionist movement, regarding the importance of feelings to be of significant creative interest.
I have always looked at my art from a business perspective, and doing so over time has allowed my career to blossom.
In addition to being a painter, you founded All She Makes - a digital platform that celebrates and empowers women artists. What led you to launch this project?
In the past few years I've been learning about the statistics around art made by women. To say that I was unpleasantly shocked by the lack of representation for women artists is an understatement. Because women artists are so underrepresented, it leaves us with no opportunities or places to exist or show our work. The National Museum of Women in the Arts (who we support through donations) has a list of studies on their website, which addresses the gender disparity. One example is: A data survey of the permanent collections of 18 prominent art museums in the U.S. found that out of over 10,000 artists, 87% are male, and 85% are white.
It's 2020, and museums are still doing a terrible job at showing work made by women, and the issue is even more problematic for women of color. I saw proof of this with my own eyes at one of our local museums recently: https://www.allshemakes.org/blog/lack-of-representation-in-museums-today
Where do you hope to see All She Makes in 5 years?
I hope to bridge the gap between women artists, galleries, and art organizations by bringing more awareness to the issue at hand, and highlighting quality work made by women artists. Social change is not easy to implement, but we can do it with our collective efforts. Would love to work with Venice Biennale, Miami Fairs, or Art Basel.
What advice do you have for other creative entrepreneurs?
Diversify your income streams! Lots of artists get stuck in one place due to various social stigmas surrounding creatives, but we have to remember to stick to what is most important to us. If you need to get a job to support your passion project, do that!
Another one: don't be afraid to fail! People don't often discuss their failed attempts, and we don't always see the full picture of what it is to be an entrepreneur. When we see someone's success, most likely there were trials, failures, and months or years of hard work. We, as a society, need to learn to talk about that part of the process more, so it doesn't sound so foreign.
Your abstract paintings are vibrant, colorful, and energetic. What led you to creating abstract work?
Interesting that you ask that, because I feel like my work is in the midst of a big transition. I am actually working with a mentor to help me through this process.
I was naturally drawn to abstracts as a kid and began creating them due to this fascination. Seeing the odd shapes and colors always intrigued me. I wanted to figure out why and how others did it. I painted for a few years with no significant progress, until at one point I decided to let go of all limitations and just paint.
What do you hope the viewer will take away from your work?
I want to communicate my story with my work. When I painted vibrant works, they were my safe space, my happiness, a place I was reaching for. That's what most of the viewers took from them as well. Lots of collectors own those pieces because they evoke feelings of peace.
Currently I am going through a transition in my work. I've been on a deep healing journey for the past year, and I finally progressed enough to be able to find that safe space I've been searching for. I am learning to look back at my past, see all the hurt, and just accept it as a part of my story. Now I need to learn how to tell that story, and what I want for the viewer to take from it.
When did you join instagram, and how has it impacted you as an artist?
I joined instagram as an artist around 2015. I used to be so preoccupied with ways to make my profile more interesting to people, but it just takes so much mental energy, and the reward is not even worth it. It seems like IG operates on gambler's fallacy principle, which creates a false sense of "figuring out" how the algorithm works, and IG profits off that. Likes and follows don't necessarily turn into sales, so I had to remember my main purpose for being on IG - sharing what I make and my thoughts with the world. This platform has been, without a doubt, a wonderful way of meeting new people and creating community.
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
My latest interview is with Sarah Suplina, an art educator and paper artist living and working in New York. Using only snippets of painted paper, Sarah creates stunning works of art inspired by the natural world. In this interview, Sarah shares her process for creating paper art, and discusses what compelled her to work in this medium.
Hi Sarah! Tell me about your background and where your creative journey began.
I've always loved art, ever since I was a little girl. I've been working in the art field now for over 25 years in different professions: Graphic Designer, muralist and now full-time art teacher. Throughout my different art professions, I have never lost my own artistic voice. Creating my own art is very important to me.
How did you become involved in paper art, and what initially drew you to this medium?
I started using paper as a result of being bored with traditional watercolors. I was working on landscapes and finding them dull. One day I just started cutting up my paintings and then placing and layering the paper to create a whole new, different landscape. I loved the process and the textural layers; I was hooked. This was over eight years ago; and my love, skill and enthusiasm for paper art has only increased through time.
Your paper art is incredibly intricate and detailed. Can you describe your process and the length of time it typically takes to create an artwork from paper?
Since I am a full time art teacher, I can only work in short time clips. And because of this, I prefer working small. I am able to complete a snippet or collage in less time than if I worked larger. I always start with a subject that inspires, and I usually work in series rather than random subjects. Once I'm excited to start a new piece, I research, sketch and then start the cutting process. I paint all my own paper and have a very large supply of colors at this point. If I need a special color or texture, I will paint that paper prior to cutting. Once most pieces are cut, I will layer and glue together. And then the last step is painting the details...and voila, a snippet is born!
One thing that stands out to me about your work is that it often references the natural world; specifically birds, flowers, and plants. Can you tell me about what inspires you, and what led you to focus on depicting nature and animals?
My art is my own vision (unless working on a commission), so I get to choose what I love...and I love nature. The natural world is absolutely beautiful, inspirational and never ceases to amaze me.
In addition to creating beautiful paper artwork, are there any other creative projects you are working on, or hope to begin in the future?
Right now I'm in the middle of moving, so once we settle I hope to create an amazing workspace for me. Right now I have a basement studio (no widows!). In addition, I'm constantly creating new and exciting lessons for my students at school. I'm always creating!
When did you join Instagram, and how has it impacted you as an artist?
I started my Sarahsnippets account on Instagram in November 2018 as a platform to inspire, share and have fun with my art. The response has been truly incredible. The support and feedback from Instagram has definitely helped encourage me to create more and more.
Where do you hope to see yourself and your work in 10 years?
I hope to see myself even more engaged with my art and my teaching. What does that mean? I am not fully sure. So far, life has unfolded beautifully for me (with many bumps too) and I look forward to what the future brings.
I've always loved art, ever since I was a little girl. I've been working in the art field now for over 25 years in different professions: Graphic Designer, muralist and now full-time art teacher. Throughout my different art professions, I have never lost my own artistic voice. Creating my own art is very important to me.
How did you become involved in paper art, and what initially drew you to this medium?
I started using paper as a result of being bored with traditional watercolors. I was working on landscapes and finding them dull. One day I just started cutting up my paintings and then placing and layering the paper to create a whole new, different landscape. I loved the process and the textural layers; I was hooked. This was over eight years ago; and my love, skill and enthusiasm for paper art has only increased through time.
Your paper art is incredibly intricate and detailed. Can you describe your process and the length of time it typically takes to create an artwork from paper?
Since I am a full time art teacher, I can only work in short time clips. And because of this, I prefer working small. I am able to complete a snippet or collage in less time than if I worked larger. I always start with a subject that inspires, and I usually work in series rather than random subjects. Once I'm excited to start a new piece, I research, sketch and then start the cutting process. I paint all my own paper and have a very large supply of colors at this point. If I need a special color or texture, I will paint that paper prior to cutting. Once most pieces are cut, I will layer and glue together. And then the last step is painting the details...and voila, a snippet is born!
One thing that stands out to me about your work is that it often references the natural world; specifically birds, flowers, and plants. Can you tell me about what inspires you, and what led you to focus on depicting nature and animals?
My art is my own vision (unless working on a commission), so I get to choose what I love...and I love nature. The natural world is absolutely beautiful, inspirational and never ceases to amaze me.
In addition to creating beautiful paper artwork, are there any other creative projects you are working on, or hope to begin in the future?
Right now I'm in the middle of moving, so once we settle I hope to create an amazing workspace for me. Right now I have a basement studio (no widows!). In addition, I'm constantly creating new and exciting lessons for my students at school. I'm always creating!
When did you join Instagram, and how has it impacted you as an artist?
I started my Sarahsnippets account on Instagram in November 2018 as a platform to inspire, share and have fun with my art. The response has been truly incredible. The support and feedback from Instagram has definitely helped encourage me to create more and more.
Where do you hope to see yourself and your work in 10 years?
I hope to see myself even more engaged with my art and my teaching. What does that mean? I am not fully sure. So far, life has unfolded beautifully for me (with many bumps too) and I look forward to what the future brings.
Monday, March 23, 2020
Artist: Faisal Warsani
Instagram: FaisalWarsani
Website: www.faisalwarsani.com/shop
Artist: Faisal Warsani
Instagram: FaisalWarsani
Website: www.faisalwarsani.com/shop
This interview is with Faisal Warsani, a painter living and working in Chicago. Faisal shares his passion for painting tropical paradises; oceans, waterfalls, and mountains that are seemingly untouched by humans. Painted in a photorealistic style, it's easy to mistake Faisal's paintings for actual photographs. Faisal also discusses his detail-oriented technique, the role of architecture in his work, and what compels him to paint the natural world.
Hi Faisal! Tell me about your background and how you initially became involved in the arts.
I have been drawing and painting since childhood. I took private art lessons throughout my teen years and that really built a strong foundation for my skill set. When I went to university for architecture, my passion for painting was sacrificed temporarily because my priorities were different. Art has always been in my life, the amount of art just varied throughout the years.
Many of your paintings depict tropical paradises, seemingly untouched by humans. What led you to paint these tranquil landscapes?
I'm glad that concept is apparent, because I've consciously chosen to do landscapes devoid of humans or human activity. I love painting this seemingly untouched paradise because that's where I'd rather be, I think. Where no one knows me, or my name. But somewhere so beautiful.
In addition to being a painter, you studied architecture in school. How does your background in architecture influence your work?
The architectural elements and design principles such as balance, rhythm, composition, and many other things, are all concepts I hope appear in my work because I'm very careful about how I present my work. So, my paintings have a level of construction to them. It's really just a process now in ways similar to architecture & design.
One thing that stands out to me about your work is the level of detail you are able to achieve. Tell me a bit about your process and technique.
My architectural background should indicate that I'm very attentive to detail, almost too attentive really, and I want to make sure everything is as perfect as possible. I use an assortment of brushes, very thin brushes, and I also layer on paint and different tones throughout. So, it's a lengthy process requiring a lot of tools.
How have your paintings shifted and evolved over the years?
I used to paint with pastels and watercolors, and finally settled on acrylics as being my chosen medium. But I feel like that'll change soon as well, to oils. I think my content has become more cohesive, which has made my work more unified.
When did you join Instagram, and how has it impacted you as an artist?
I joined Instagram back in high school just for fun but started posting art later on, in 2015. A few big Instagram pages found it via hashtags and reposted my work, I gained a lot of followers and a lot of attention and became kind of addicted to that attention. So, the only way to get more of it was to post more, to paint more. Instagram has been very good for me - I have formed connections with galleries because of it, and I have made all of my sales through Instagram. And I've befriended so many talented artists worldwide. It's a powerful tool.
Where do you hope to see yourself in 10 years?
I hope I'm able to do everything I want to do. I hope it's balanced between my love for painting, for architecture, and for the sea. And that I'll have time for my family and friends in addition to that. I think I won't be sleeping very much but I'm excited.
I have been drawing and painting since childhood. I took private art lessons throughout my teen years and that really built a strong foundation for my skill set. When I went to university for architecture, my passion for painting was sacrificed temporarily because my priorities were different. Art has always been in my life, the amount of art just varied throughout the years.
Many of your paintings depict tropical paradises, seemingly untouched by humans. What led you to paint these tranquil landscapes?
I'm glad that concept is apparent, because I've consciously chosen to do landscapes devoid of humans or human activity. I love painting this seemingly untouched paradise because that's where I'd rather be, I think. Where no one knows me, or my name. But somewhere so beautiful.
In addition to being a painter, you studied architecture in school. How does your background in architecture influence your work?
The architectural elements and design principles such as balance, rhythm, composition, and many other things, are all concepts I hope appear in my work because I'm very careful about how I present my work. So, my paintings have a level of construction to them. It's really just a process now in ways similar to architecture & design.
One thing that stands out to me about your work is the level of detail you are able to achieve. Tell me a bit about your process and technique.
My architectural background should indicate that I'm very attentive to detail, almost too attentive really, and I want to make sure everything is as perfect as possible. I use an assortment of brushes, very thin brushes, and I also layer on paint and different tones throughout. So, it's a lengthy process requiring a lot of tools.
How have your paintings shifted and evolved over the years?
I used to paint with pastels and watercolors, and finally settled on acrylics as being my chosen medium. But I feel like that'll change soon as well, to oils. I think my content has become more cohesive, which has made my work more unified.
When did you join Instagram, and how has it impacted you as an artist?
I joined Instagram back in high school just for fun but started posting art later on, in 2015. A few big Instagram pages found it via hashtags and reposted my work, I gained a lot of followers and a lot of attention and became kind of addicted to that attention. So, the only way to get more of it was to post more, to paint more. Instagram has been very good for me - I have formed connections with galleries because of it, and I have made all of my sales through Instagram. And I've befriended so many talented artists worldwide. It's a powerful tool.
Where do you hope to see yourself in 10 years?
I hope I'm able to do everything I want to do. I hope it's balanced between my love for painting, for architecture, and for the sea. And that I'll have time for my family and friends in addition to that. I think I won't be sleeping very much but I'm excited.
Friday, March 20, 2020
Artist: Allegra Yvonne Gia
Instagram: Youngfoxblood + artphysic
Website: www.artphysic.com
Artist: Allegra Yvonne Gia
Instagram: Youngfoxblood + artphysic
Website: www.artphysic.com
My next interview is with Allegra Yvonne Gia, a painter from Philadelphia who is known for her surrealist pop portraits. In this interview, Allegra discusses her fascination with pop culture and the vivid use of color in her work. She also shares how her experiences in graphic design, film, and media arts play a role in her current work.
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Hi Allegra! Tell me about your background and how you initially became involved in the arts.
My background is in film and media arts. I was always involved in art in some way. Growing up I used to draw a lot with pencils, charcoal, and oil pastels. I didn’t get into painting until high school, where I had art classes involving painting. I really fell in love with it. Now I would say I’m multi-disciplined in the arts with skills in digital, film, fine, and media arts.
When did you begin to focus on portraiture and depicting the human figure?
In high school I became fascinated with portrait paintings and how realistic they can be, so I focused more on that. When I got to college I drifted away from portraits and studied digital, graphic design and film. I didn’t really start painting again until I graduated from college.
Your paintings have a dream-like quality to them, while also referencing pop art imagery. What compelled you to paint in this style?
I found myself inspired by art and fashion magazines, which is what helped me develop my art style and technique. It honestly was through experimentation that I developed my style. It was kind of something I started doing in high school - painting using tiny squares and dots and lines, and it just stuck with me. Media obsession has always fascinated me, whether it’s Hollywood, a brand, or a commercial. I like to highlight pop culture.
One thing that stands out to me about your paintings is their vibrancy. Your color choices are bright, bold, and beautiful! Tell me about the role of color in your work.
My experience in design school inspired my color palette for my artwork. Instead of the traditional red yellow and blue, we used cyan, magenta, and yellow to make our colors. The fluorescent colors I use complement those colors and bring a lot of life to a painting.
How have your paintings shifted and evolved over the past few years?
My paintings have definitely progressed over the years. One thing I’ve noticed is that my work shows more confidence and movement. There were parts of the human body that I was not confident in painting, and now I challenge myself to take risks. I’m usually surprised at how much better I’ve gotten.
When did you join Instagram, and how has it impacted you as an artist?
I believe I joined Instagram around 2012, which is when I started painting again. I would have to say it’s one of the best platforms I have to promote my artwork. I’ve sold a lot, and have had many opportunities through Instagram for my art and design.
What are your creative goals moving forward?
Right now I’m working to get some designs in stores and mural arts around the city. Also I’m branching out to make wearable art and home décor.
My background is in film and media arts. I was always involved in art in some way. Growing up I used to draw a lot with pencils, charcoal, and oil pastels. I didn’t get into painting until high school, where I had art classes involving painting. I really fell in love with it. Now I would say I’m multi-disciplined in the arts with skills in digital, film, fine, and media arts.
When did you begin to focus on portraiture and depicting the human figure?
In high school I became fascinated with portrait paintings and how realistic they can be, so I focused more on that. When I got to college I drifted away from portraits and studied digital, graphic design and film. I didn’t really start painting again until I graduated from college.
Your paintings have a dream-like quality to them, while also referencing pop art imagery. What compelled you to paint in this style?
I found myself inspired by art and fashion magazines, which is what helped me develop my art style and technique. It honestly was through experimentation that I developed my style. It was kind of something I started doing in high school - painting using tiny squares and dots and lines, and it just stuck with me. Media obsession has always fascinated me, whether it’s Hollywood, a brand, or a commercial. I like to highlight pop culture.
One thing that stands out to me about your paintings is their vibrancy. Your color choices are bright, bold, and beautiful! Tell me about the role of color in your work.
My experience in design school inspired my color palette for my artwork. Instead of the traditional red yellow and blue, we used cyan, magenta, and yellow to make our colors. The fluorescent colors I use complement those colors and bring a lot of life to a painting.
How have your paintings shifted and evolved over the past few years?
My paintings have definitely progressed over the years. One thing I’ve noticed is that my work shows more confidence and movement. There were parts of the human body that I was not confident in painting, and now I challenge myself to take risks. I’m usually surprised at how much better I’ve gotten.
When did you join Instagram, and how has it impacted you as an artist?
I believe I joined Instagram around 2012, which is when I started painting again. I would have to say it’s one of the best platforms I have to promote my artwork. I’ve sold a lot, and have had many opportunities through Instagram for my art and design.
What are your creative goals moving forward?
Right now I’m working to get some designs in stores and mural arts around the city. Also I’m branching out to make wearable art and home décor.
Monday, March 16, 2020
Artist: Helen Ting
Instagram: Mosswater
Website: www.tinghelen.com
This interview is with one of my dearest friends, Helen Ting, an artist and freelance illustrator living and working in Taipei. Helen discusses the illustration program at the School of Visual Arts and the profound impact it had on her work, as well as her experiences living in Taiwan, Canada, and New York City. Helen also talks about her mission to reshape the perception of the female figure in the contemporary art world.
Artist: Helen Ting
Instagram: Mosswater
Website: www.tinghelen.com
This interview is with one of my dearest friends, Helen Ting, an artist and freelance illustrator living and working in Taipei. Helen discusses the illustration program at the School of Visual Arts and the profound impact it had on her work, as well as her experiences living in Taiwan, Canada, and New York City. Helen also talks about her mission to reshape the perception of the female figure in the contemporary art world.
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Hi Helen! Tell me a bit about yourself and your background.
I am an illustrator and graphic designer currently based in Taiwan. I grew up in a conventional environment in Taiwan where art education wasn’t really valued in public schools in the 90s. My favorite thing after school was to hide in my room, drawing secretly and singing along with music. I started taking classes at a private art studio once a week for a decade. At the age of 17, I decided to go study abroad in Toronto. Then I went to New York to continue my college education. After that, I came back to Taiwan to work as a freelancer.
How have your experiences living in Taiwan, Canada, and New York City influenced your work?
I think the influences of various environments on my art grew in a subconscious way. I never noticed that my way of composing an image was “oriental” until my professor in SVA told me so during a class critic. To be honest, I felt pretty embarrassed at the moment because it took me by surprise. Also, I didn’t know how to interpret the subtext behind his choice of adjective. Now thinking back, I started to explore my identity and form a sense of self when I first experienced living abroad in Canada. I created a painting of myself doing my morning beauty routine of applying a double eye-lid glue. (It’s a popular habit for young girls in Asia.) And I believe this is the piece that got me into SVA. The interviewer was fascinated by the story behind this painting. During my time in NYC, I was exposed to so many different cultures, histories, and clashes of new ideas that triggered me to try all different kinds of things. It stimulated me to think differently, try different mediums, and explore ways to construct an image to illustrate my ideas.
I remember the stunning illustration work you did at the School of Visual Arts. Can you talk about how the illustration program at SVA influenced your work today?
My experience at the School of Visual Arts was really profound for me. All the instructors at SVA I encountered were very different, yet all very wise. I didn’t know I would learn more about the philosophy than the technicality of art. Or maybe that’s what attracted me more. I can never forget that at the first drawing class of the sophomore year, my professor, Joo Chung, told us “Great artists don’t need to go to art school. So no one here is a great artist.” That shattered my illusions immediately and made me understand that I needed to find my footing by working hard. Later, I found myself struggling in my thesis class which was held by a passionate yet tough artist, Thomas Woodruff. And after being commanded to see him in his office privately for extra guidance, I gradually gathered my thesis together in a way I would never expect. He noticed that I like to make decorative elements, so he suggested that I create a costume design collection. And finally, I was fortunate enough to be selected into the thesis show. I’ve learned that there’s no one way to tell an idea or a story. You will get there by failing hard first. Lastly, I want to mention Yuko Shimizu and Marcos Chin. They are just simply wonderful people with warm hearts and sharp minds. I still follow them on social media now as they share their creative processes with everyone.
You utilize a wide range of mediums; from drawing and painting, to digital art and printmaking. Can you talk about how you use these mediums in different ways, and if you have a preference?
I am not a purist in terms of my choice of mediums. In another way, I’d say I’d get bored if I dedicated myself to only one. Mediums are like the tones of dialogue. I choose them by the feeling I had during the process, and the atmosphere I want to present for the viewers. My preference changes through times. Sometimes back and forth. For example, sometimes I draw on paper first then adjust it digitally; and sometimes it’s the other way around. Also, lately I’ve considered the level of damage that medium would cause for the environment. For instance, the making of acrylic fluid painting is so liberating, yet it produces a lot of waste. Although I enjoy it very much, I try not to use it too often.
A consistent motif in your work is the human form, usually female, interacting with the natural world. Can you talk about the meaning behind your artwork, and what you hope viewers will take away from your work?
Female figures have always been a major topic appearing on my papers. When I was a kid, I loved mimicking the drawings of girls in mangas and magazines. Then I realized I was trapped in a distorted vision of how women are viewed. My latest female drawings are my attempt to restore the perception of female bodies without the interference of the male gaze. It’s not an easy process because I was raised in an environment with heavily sexualized female images, young girls especially. I want to place my female figures in the natural world because that’s where I feel is safe and free for them, or for me. I know it’s hard to reshape the history we have built upon, in terms of the girl’s image and nature, but I still wish my art can achieve something that was exploited, and perhaps lost forever in the future.
What are your future goals and aspirations as an artist?
Creating art was an escape for me in my childhood. Now it feels like a mission. I hope my work can make a positive impact on people, offer comfort and stimulation at the same time. Besides drawing and painting, I want to write more. Because stories and ideas are the backbones of visual creativities. Moreover, I want to look into more stories in my family and in Taiwan - present, and past. It’s a territory not well discovered yet and I see a lot of potential in the things that interested me here.
When did you join instagram, and how has it impacted you as an artist?
I created my account in 2011 when it was simply serving as a social platform for me. When it turned into a professional arena, I didn’t adjust well. The pressure of social media made a negative impact on my creativity, plus there were a couple of other personal issues. It felt too overwhelming, so I haven’t engaged with it religiously for my career until these past few years. After making some like-minded friends through Instagram, I see the great side of it.
What advice would you give to other artists, or those who are working to develop their art career?
I never think I’m in a place where I can give out art career advice to people, because I know I come from a background privileged enough that this option is available for me.
So reader’s discretion is advised for my following answers. First thing first, sadly there will be some clients who under-value our worth because they think artists or designers are “doing what they love”. A lesson I learned from my experience is that cheap, fast and good can’t co-exist in a project. If your client wants cheap and fast, don’t promise them unlimited revisions, unless it’s a project that you love and gives you proper credits. Another thing I learned from my creative process is an ancient Chinese saying: “A mountain seen is a mountain being, a mountain seen is no mountain being, a mountain seen remains a mountain being.” I interpret it as “Notice yourself first, then doubt yourself, and finally trust yourself.” It’s a mental practice I apply not only in art but in daily life. After all, the broad concept of art is in every aspect of our life. Everyone deserves to enjoy and be nourished by art.
I am an illustrator and graphic designer currently based in Taiwan. I grew up in a conventional environment in Taiwan where art education wasn’t really valued in public schools in the 90s. My favorite thing after school was to hide in my room, drawing secretly and singing along with music. I started taking classes at a private art studio once a week for a decade. At the age of 17, I decided to go study abroad in Toronto. Then I went to New York to continue my college education. After that, I came back to Taiwan to work as a freelancer.
How have your experiences living in Taiwan, Canada, and New York City influenced your work?
I think the influences of various environments on my art grew in a subconscious way. I never noticed that my way of composing an image was “oriental” until my professor in SVA told me so during a class critic. To be honest, I felt pretty embarrassed at the moment because it took me by surprise. Also, I didn’t know how to interpret the subtext behind his choice of adjective. Now thinking back, I started to explore my identity and form a sense of self when I first experienced living abroad in Canada. I created a painting of myself doing my morning beauty routine of applying a double eye-lid glue. (It’s a popular habit for young girls in Asia.) And I believe this is the piece that got me into SVA. The interviewer was fascinated by the story behind this painting. During my time in NYC, I was exposed to so many different cultures, histories, and clashes of new ideas that triggered me to try all different kinds of things. It stimulated me to think differently, try different mediums, and explore ways to construct an image to illustrate my ideas.
I remember the stunning illustration work you did at the School of Visual Arts. Can you talk about how the illustration program at SVA influenced your work today?
My experience at the School of Visual Arts was really profound for me. All the instructors at SVA I encountered were very different, yet all very wise. I didn’t know I would learn more about the philosophy than the technicality of art. Or maybe that’s what attracted me more. I can never forget that at the first drawing class of the sophomore year, my professor, Joo Chung, told us “Great artists don’t need to go to art school. So no one here is a great artist.” That shattered my illusions immediately and made me understand that I needed to find my footing by working hard. Later, I found myself struggling in my thesis class which was held by a passionate yet tough artist, Thomas Woodruff. And after being commanded to see him in his office privately for extra guidance, I gradually gathered my thesis together in a way I would never expect. He noticed that I like to make decorative elements, so he suggested that I create a costume design collection. And finally, I was fortunate enough to be selected into the thesis show. I’ve learned that there’s no one way to tell an idea or a story. You will get there by failing hard first. Lastly, I want to mention Yuko Shimizu and Marcos Chin. They are just simply wonderful people with warm hearts and sharp minds. I still follow them on social media now as they share their creative processes with everyone.
You utilize a wide range of mediums; from drawing and painting, to digital art and printmaking. Can you talk about how you use these mediums in different ways, and if you have a preference?
I am not a purist in terms of my choice of mediums. In another way, I’d say I’d get bored if I dedicated myself to only one. Mediums are like the tones of dialogue. I choose them by the feeling I had during the process, and the atmosphere I want to present for the viewers. My preference changes through times. Sometimes back and forth. For example, sometimes I draw on paper first then adjust it digitally; and sometimes it’s the other way around. Also, lately I’ve considered the level of damage that medium would cause for the environment. For instance, the making of acrylic fluid painting is so liberating, yet it produces a lot of waste. Although I enjoy it very much, I try not to use it too often.
A consistent motif in your work is the human form, usually female, interacting with the natural world. Can you talk about the meaning behind your artwork, and what you hope viewers will take away from your work?
Female figures have always been a major topic appearing on my papers. When I was a kid, I loved mimicking the drawings of girls in mangas and magazines. Then I realized I was trapped in a distorted vision of how women are viewed. My latest female drawings are my attempt to restore the perception of female bodies without the interference of the male gaze. It’s not an easy process because I was raised in an environment with heavily sexualized female images, young girls especially. I want to place my female figures in the natural world because that’s where I feel is safe and free for them, or for me. I know it’s hard to reshape the history we have built upon, in terms of the girl’s image and nature, but I still wish my art can achieve something that was exploited, and perhaps lost forever in the future.
What are your future goals and aspirations as an artist?
Creating art was an escape for me in my childhood. Now it feels like a mission. I hope my work can make a positive impact on people, offer comfort and stimulation at the same time. Besides drawing and painting, I want to write more. Because stories and ideas are the backbones of visual creativities. Moreover, I want to look into more stories in my family and in Taiwan - present, and past. It’s a territory not well discovered yet and I see a lot of potential in the things that interested me here.
When did you join instagram, and how has it impacted you as an artist?
I created my account in 2011 when it was simply serving as a social platform for me. When it turned into a professional arena, I didn’t adjust well. The pressure of social media made a negative impact on my creativity, plus there were a couple of other personal issues. It felt too overwhelming, so I haven’t engaged with it religiously for my career until these past few years. After making some like-minded friends through Instagram, I see the great side of it.
What advice would you give to other artists, or those who are working to develop their art career?
I never think I’m in a place where I can give out art career advice to people, because I know I come from a background privileged enough that this option is available for me.
So reader’s discretion is advised for my following answers. First thing first, sadly there will be some clients who under-value our worth because they think artists or designers are “doing what they love”. A lesson I learned from my experience is that cheap, fast and good can’t co-exist in a project. If your client wants cheap and fast, don’t promise them unlimited revisions, unless it’s a project that you love and gives you proper credits. Another thing I learned from my creative process is an ancient Chinese saying: “A mountain seen is a mountain being, a mountain seen is no mountain being, a mountain seen remains a mountain being.” I interpret it as “Notice yourself first, then doubt yourself, and finally trust yourself.” It’s a mental practice I apply not only in art but in daily life. After all, the broad concept of art is in every aspect of our life. Everyone deserves to enjoy and be nourished by art.
Friday, March 13, 2020
Artist: Beray Uzunbay
Instagram: Berays_Art
Website: linktr.ee/BeraysArt
My next interview is with Beray Uzunbay, an artist, educator, and curator from Melbourne, Australia. Beray discusses her process for creating whimsical, dream-like works of art, as well as her passion for teaching and what led her to pursue a career in art education.
Artist: Beray Uzunbay
Instagram: Berays_Art
Website: linktr.ee/BeraysArt
My next interview is with Beray Uzunbay, an artist, educator, and curator from Melbourne, Australia. Beray discusses her process for creating whimsical, dream-like works of art, as well as her passion for teaching and what led her to pursue a career in art education.
Hi Beray! Tell me about where you’re from and how you initially became involved in the arts.
I am a Melbourne based painter, teacher, curator, co-host of The Creative Lens, and just a creative human being in general. I've been interested in drawing since childhood, but it wasn't until 2013 that I started taking the fine arts more seriously. It was during 2013 that I discovered soft pastels too. Little did I know that this marked the beginning of something very special.
Your pastel drawings have a whimsical, other-worldly quality. What inspires your work?
My other-worldly landscapes are inspired by the intensity of emotions. Sometimes passion is the overarching theme, sometimes it's grief, sometimes it's hope. I explore emotions and my experiences with those emotions through my landscapes. In all my paintings, hope is never absent. It's always there, whether I intended for it to be there or not, because hope is something always here in real life.
Why do I paint other-worldy and dreamlike scenes and use them as vehicles to deliver important messages about the matters of the heart? Fantasy art has always been a passion of mine because it's a place detached from some of the social laws of this world. The kind of freedom in fantastical realms is intriguing to me. I think freedom in general is something I'm very passionate about. I like my freedom, the ability to choose and be the person I want to be. So, this is why I paint free-spirited and otherworldly landscapes. Oh, and also, because I'm a daydreamer.
I also draw inspiration from the post-impressionist movement and from artists like Vincent van Gogh. I identify as a post-impressionist painter.
In addition to being an artist, you also teach workshops for emerging artists. Can you tell me a bit about your teaching experience and how you transitioned into education?
I started teaching in 2018. I love preserving art and nourishing creativity and I can do this through teaching others. The more artists we bring into the world, the higher chance we have to preserve this beautiful discipline.
How has your work shifted and evolved over the years?
I started off by doing realism. I wanted to be a realistic painter and more specifically I wanted to paint people in this style. Part of the reason was because I thought that realism was true art. I cannot believe I thought that. It was a long time ago and I was quite young. When I saw Claude Monet's work for the first time in 2013, I realised that I wanted to explore a contemporary style and I wanted to paint landscapes. So I did. Since then, my love for modern art has grown so much and I mainly create modern art nowadays.
What are your goals as an artist, and where do you hope to see yourself in 10 years?
My goal as an artist is to create art, which will inspire people to reflect and engage in introspection. In the next 10 years, I want to have my own studio where I teach and create art, I want to have curated many exhibitions and I want to be someone who creates amazing work opportunities for other artists. Supporting other artists is something I am deeply passionate about. I understand how hard it is being an artist and I want to create a future for other creatives where they don't experience the struggles I experienced.
Sunday, March 8, 2020
Artist: Valerie Rodriguez
Instagram: Valeriestyle_art
Website: www.valeriestyleart.com
My fourth interview is with Valerie Rodriguez, a painter and nature enthusiast living in Truckee, California. Valerie discusses her deep love for the outdoors, the inspiration she draws from Lake Tahoe, and the evolution of her creative journey.
Artist: Valerie Rodriguez
Instagram: Valeriestyle_art
Website: www.valeriestyleart.com
My fourth interview is with Valerie Rodriguez, a painter and nature enthusiast living in Truckee, California. Valerie discusses her deep love for the outdoors, the inspiration she draws from Lake Tahoe, and the evolution of her creative journey.
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Hi Valerie! Tell me a bit about yourself and your background.
I’m a painter based out of Truckee, CA, a small mountain town just outside of Lake Tahoe. A native to the San Francisco Bay Area, I grew up in an area rich in diversity, art, and the freedom to pave your own way, and I think that environment really influenced my work over the years. I come from an incredibly supportive family - my dad was a welder by trade and I was amazed at how he could build something so beautiful out of scraps of wood and metal. Lately he’s been making custom furniture and it has been really inspiring to watch. My mom was a hair stylist when I was young and transitioned into the software industry in the mid-90s. She instilled in me a foundation of problem-solving skills that my art and design rely on. Being exposed to a life built from the ground up has affected every facet of my personality, and those themes are weaved throughout my work today: Possibility. Independence. Opportunity.
Your photos of the California landscape are so captivating. How do your surroundings influence your work?
The beauty of Lake Tahoe is unmatched and unpredictable. There are so many “wow” moments in a single day that it’s impossible not to feel inspired. I’ve lived here for almost two years, and everything still feels new and surprising. No matter where you move, I think there’s something about changing your surroundings that enlivens part of you and makes you wonder. Truckee is full of wonder.
Many of your paintings have a sense of being immersed in nature, and evoke a feeling of tranquility and wonder. Can you tell me a bit about your own experiences in nature?
Nature has always been my paradise. I grew up an athlete and my favorite moments were always spent outdoors. There’s something so powerful about a landscape that man can’t control—seasons, ocean tides, sunlight and shadow—I live for moments that make you feel small, and the best place to find that is out is in nature.
What do you hope viewers will take away from your work?
I hope I inspire others to live more slowly. You always hear that life is swift, but I think we have the power to claim more of that time just by living in the present. It’s amazing the things you notice when you choose to slow down.
How have your paintings evolved and shifted over the last few years?
I didn’t paint very often in my early 20s - mostly pet portraits that friends and family had commissioned. I learned how to paint for others, but hadn’t yet learned how to paint for myself. Then, a few years ago, I went through a divorce that changed the course of my life for the better. At the time of course, I felt like my life was in pieces - the future I envisioned for myself was foggy and uncertain. I knew that I needed help healing from emotional trauma and navigating the rocky road ahead, so even before telling my friends and family I was leaving my marriage, I booked an appointment with a therapist. She helped me prioritize self-care and rediscover the things that always made me happiest: time in nature, time to myself, and painting.
I spent all of my free time over the next two weeks in an extra bedroom that served as my art studio and painted my 36x48 orange tree piece. The trunk symbolized stability, the fruit symbolized growth, and fallen oranges were all of the things that no longer served me. From there, my art career bloomed.
I carved out time to paint every day, either early in the morning before work or in the evening while I cooked dinner. I began taking my sketchbook with me while I hiked on the weekends and started merging my creative outlet with my physical one. Step by step, I felt like I was taking back control of my life, and that power lives within all of the subjects in my figurative pieces. Each woman is choosing her own way, living in the present and accomplishing things she didn’t know she could.
When did you join instagram, and how has it impacted you as an artist?
I joined Instagram fairly recently as a way to document my work. Looking back, my feed really reflects my story as an artist, starting with pet portraits, moving into my orange tree, then quick early-morning watercolors, and emerging in my current style. It’s been such an amazing platform for community, and I’ve met so many artists and outdoors women that inspire me on a daily basis.
What advice what you give to artists who are either beginning their career, or working to develop their career?
Paint often, from photos or from life. Resist the urge to paint from other artists’ paintings - it will only leave you discouraged. Paint for yourself, not for others. Your passion in your subject will shine through the canvas so much that others will be drawn to it as well. And finally, be patient with yourself! We’ve all had to push past our fear of failure to create a body of work that we love. Just take it slow and be kind to yourself in the process.
I’m a painter based out of Truckee, CA, a small mountain town just outside of Lake Tahoe. A native to the San Francisco Bay Area, I grew up in an area rich in diversity, art, and the freedom to pave your own way, and I think that environment really influenced my work over the years. I come from an incredibly supportive family - my dad was a welder by trade and I was amazed at how he could build something so beautiful out of scraps of wood and metal. Lately he’s been making custom furniture and it has been really inspiring to watch. My mom was a hair stylist when I was young and transitioned into the software industry in the mid-90s. She instilled in me a foundation of problem-solving skills that my art and design rely on. Being exposed to a life built from the ground up has affected every facet of my personality, and those themes are weaved throughout my work today: Possibility. Independence. Opportunity.
Your photos of the California landscape are so captivating. How do your surroundings influence your work?
The beauty of Lake Tahoe is unmatched and unpredictable. There are so many “wow” moments in a single day that it’s impossible not to feel inspired. I’ve lived here for almost two years, and everything still feels new and surprising. No matter where you move, I think there’s something about changing your surroundings that enlivens part of you and makes you wonder. Truckee is full of wonder.
Many of your paintings have a sense of being immersed in nature, and evoke a feeling of tranquility and wonder. Can you tell me a bit about your own experiences in nature?
Nature has always been my paradise. I grew up an athlete and my favorite moments were always spent outdoors. There’s something so powerful about a landscape that man can’t control—seasons, ocean tides, sunlight and shadow—I live for moments that make you feel small, and the best place to find that is out is in nature.
What do you hope viewers will take away from your work?
I hope I inspire others to live more slowly. You always hear that life is swift, but I think we have the power to claim more of that time just by living in the present. It’s amazing the things you notice when you choose to slow down.
How have your paintings evolved and shifted over the last few years?
I didn’t paint very often in my early 20s - mostly pet portraits that friends and family had commissioned. I learned how to paint for others, but hadn’t yet learned how to paint for myself. Then, a few years ago, I went through a divorce that changed the course of my life for the better. At the time of course, I felt like my life was in pieces - the future I envisioned for myself was foggy and uncertain. I knew that I needed help healing from emotional trauma and navigating the rocky road ahead, so even before telling my friends and family I was leaving my marriage, I booked an appointment with a therapist. She helped me prioritize self-care and rediscover the things that always made me happiest: time in nature, time to myself, and painting.
I spent all of my free time over the next two weeks in an extra bedroom that served as my art studio and painted my 36x48 orange tree piece. The trunk symbolized stability, the fruit symbolized growth, and fallen oranges were all of the things that no longer served me. From there, my art career bloomed.
I carved out time to paint every day, either early in the morning before work or in the evening while I cooked dinner. I began taking my sketchbook with me while I hiked on the weekends and started merging my creative outlet with my physical one. Step by step, I felt like I was taking back control of my life, and that power lives within all of the subjects in my figurative pieces. Each woman is choosing her own way, living in the present and accomplishing things she didn’t know she could.
When did you join instagram, and how has it impacted you as an artist?
I joined Instagram fairly recently as a way to document my work. Looking back, my feed really reflects my story as an artist, starting with pet portraits, moving into my orange tree, then quick early-morning watercolors, and emerging in my current style. It’s been such an amazing platform for community, and I’ve met so many artists and outdoors women that inspire me on a daily basis.
What advice what you give to artists who are either beginning their career, or working to develop their career?
Paint often, from photos or from life. Resist the urge to paint from other artists’ paintings - it will only leave you discouraged. Paint for yourself, not for others. Your passion in your subject will shine through the canvas so much that others will be drawn to it as well. And finally, be patient with yourself! We’ve all had to push past our fear of failure to create a body of work that we love. Just take it slow and be kind to yourself in the process.
Wednesday, March 4, 2020
Artist: Regina Quinn
Instagram: Ginabq
Website: www.reginabquinn.net
My next interview is with Regina Quinn, an encaustic painter who resides in the Northern Catskill Mountains of New York. Gina discusses her passion for encaustic painting, the influence of Yellowstone National Park on her work, and shares advice for artists working to develop their careers.
Artist: Regina Quinn
Instagram: Ginabq
Website: www.reginabquinn.net
My next interview is with Regina Quinn, an encaustic painter who resides in the Northern Catskill Mountains of New York. Gina discusses her passion for encaustic painting, the influence of Yellowstone National Park on her work, and shares advice for artists working to develop their careers.
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Hi Regina! Tell me a bit about yourself and your background.
I have drawn and painted for as long as I can remember. I’ve also always had a deep love of nature, of math, and of art, which eventually led me to become an elementary and middle school teacher (I currently work in STEM higher education). Throughout my life, though, I have always been involved in the arts. I’ve done freelance work, painted murals, designed and painted theater sets, and taught painting, printmaking, digital imaging, photography, filmmaking, and ceramics classes for adults and children. It has only been in the past few years that I have actively worked to show my work and, over the past two years, have had dozens of shows across the country at art centers, galleries, and museums.
I notice that you mainly depict landscapes (and you depict them so beautifully!), how do you go about selecting your subject matter?
I feel deeply connected to the natural world and spend as much time exploring it as I can. I also have a rather long daily commute, but I am fortunate that much of it is through the northern mountains and past a variety of waterways. I think of my daily commute as observation time - so I get to soak in the beauty of the landscape for almost 2 hours each day.
My work is almost never based on a specific location. Rather, my paintings are a synthesis of observations over time. The way I select the subject matter is by being attuned to what moves me most deeply. I’m particularly drawn to landscapes at dawn or dusk or in a fleeting state of change - such as changing weather conditions or edges of seasons. The image, or a sense of the image, starts to form. I typically do some more observing and mental fine-tuning before I actually begin painting.
What led you to encaustic painting?
There was a definite moment that really piqued my interest in exploring encaustic. My daughter (Instagram: @aquinsta) is involved with Arts and Cultural programming at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, DC. Several years ago I saw an exhibit there that included work by Doug and Michael Starn (aka The Starn Brothers). It was an image of branches of trees printed on mulberry paper and dipped in encaustic medium. I was enthralled by its luminosity and made the decision right there on the spot. It took me a few years before I actually got the equipment and set up a space with ventilation. I began working with encaustics about 7 years ago.
You mentioned in one of your posts that you often begin with watercolor sketches. Can you tell me about your process and technique?
For each encaustic with mixed media painting I create, I strive to approach the work without a predetermined process in mind, as I am always seeking to experiment and discover the possibilities of combining media. Yet, for some or my recent work, when I have a relatively clear vision of the ultimate piece I am attempting to create, a somewhat consistent process has emerged. With a spark of inspiration from the natural landscape at dawn or dusk, I begin a painting on a cradled encaustic board panel using a combination of caran d’ache crayons and other watercolor paints. The crayons allow gestural drawing while washes of watercolor applied with wide hake brushes allow me to lay down large swaths of color that serve as the basic architecture of the work. Approaching the foundation of a painting in this way supports a stronger, simpler composition that I can then elaborate with detail without sacrificing the compositional integrity of the piece.
Once the watercolor layer has been established, I apply hot encaustic wax layers. A layer may consist solely of encaustic medium or may include opaque or transparent encaustic paints. Each layer is applied with a brush or by pouring and then fused with heat from a hot air gun. As I build layers of wax, I carve, scratch or slice into them with razor blades, knives, or woodcutting tools to create depth and texture. Some areas are fused lightly while other areas involve sustained application of heat resulting in more turbulent cloudlike formations.
At this point, I may begin to apply oil paints mixed with R & F Blending Medium which is a combination of beeswax and linseed oil (AKA cold wax). Applied to a rough or smooth encaustic surface, oils with beeswax make textures more pronounced and add luminous color. I may apply using an R & F pigment stick, or by using a brush dipped in oil paints mixed with the cold wax medium.
Once applied to the surface, I blend with brushes, scrape with palette knives or razor blades, rub in with cloth, and then lightly fuse to the encaustic surface with a heat gun. After allowing these oil-based layers to dry, I may carve or scrape back some areas, and then coat with another layer of encaustic medium or paints, repeating this layering process again and again and again until the desired effect is reached.
I notice that many of your paintings are inspired by Yellowstone National Park. Can you tell me about your experiences there, and how it’s shaped your work?
Last fall, I had a painting accepted in the Yellowstone Art Museum’s North x Northwest exhibit in Billings, Montana. It was my first museum exhibit and I decided to go out for the opening, and while there, to go to Yellowstone National Park (and Grand Teton National Park). I was floored by the scale of the mountains, the immensity of wildlife, and, more than anything, by all of the geothermal features. Before going to Yellowstone, I read a lot of books and websites about what to see and, frankly, wasn’t all that interested in the hot springs. When I saw Mammoth Hot Springs and the areas nearby, my jaw dropped. It’s really like being on another planet. What made it even more awesome was the fact that such a sterile-looking environment is actually teaming with microbial life. I can not wait to return and am currently reading an in-depth text about the science and history of the springs.
I’m still absorbing the experience and learning about it, so the influences are still trickling into my work, but, as I learn more, I try to synthesize that knowledge with the memories of the visual and physical sensations of being there. I’ve done just a few pieces based on Yellowstone’s hot springs, but there will be many more!
Who are your biggest influences?
Three painters that come to mind are Van Gogh, Vermeer, and Rothko. Their work is so different, yet, their work feels similarly intense and honest. There really are hundreds or thousands of artists whose work influences mine, but I don’t think the influences are stylistic. It’s more that I am moved by artists whose work seems deeply felt. This includes many genres of painting, music, dance and sculpture.
When did you join Instagram, and how has it impacted you as an artist?
I joined Instagram in 2012. The impact has been profound because, even though I live in a geographically remote area, I am connected to encaustic (and other) artists around the world. What I value most is seeing what other people are doing and engaging in conversations about our work. Simply stated, I have found my artistic community. Seeing other people’s work - particularly work in progress - inspires me to try new things or paint in ways I might not have considered. It also gives me a kind of joy in knowing that there are so many people creating beauty. Particularly when there is so much darkness in the world.
What advice would you give to young artists or those who are working to get their art out into the world?
The first thing is to be true to what you want to create and to keep working to improve your work so that you are deeply pleased with it. Sharing your work online is a great way to put it out in the world - and if you use a platform like Instagram, be sure to refine your skills at using hashtags. (that has made a huge difference to me and it is how I have built a following of 2,500+) Check sites like CAFE, Submittable, Online Juried Shows, and New York Arts Foundation.
There are many many calls for art and if you search diligently, you’ll find the shows to enter. Also, think about places that are not galleries or museums, to start. Public places where people will see your work - like cafe’s, libraries, etc.
My second interview is with Dennis Doyle, a landscape painter from Weymouth, Massachusetts. Dennis discusses his passion for plein air painting, as well as the challenges that come with painting outdoors! He describes what it's like to live on the coast, and how his surroundings have influenced his work. I'm so inspired by Dennis's work and was really excited to find out more about his artistic journey!
Hi Dennis! Tell me about where you’re from and how you initially became involved in the arts.
I'm a life long resident of Weymouth, Massachusetts. It's a seaside town on the south shore of Boston Harbor. I was educated in the public schools there and went on to Massachusetts College of Art where my affinity for drawing became a full blown passion for painting. I grew up and worked on the water my whole life, first as a commercial clam digger and lobster and gillnet fisherman, and then a merchant mariner working on tugs, barges, derricks, and dredges up and down the entire east coast. In these coastal settings living out and under the brilliant light has been a life long soul filling intoxication !!! Its what inspires MY PAINT!!
I notice that many of your paintings are created outside. What led you to plein air painting?
As I said in my previous answer, I have always worked out in it, I am an OUTSIDER! I have a studio where I do studio work but the true inspiration of sight and paint reaction is in plein air... it's where I get schooled!
What are some of the benefits of painting outside, as well as the challenges?
The #1 benny is being outside, gotta get some of that vitamin D! Painting in plein air you stand before what matters. It's the landscape, seascape, urban settings etc... you are there to paint what you see, chase the light, and your ACTION is to make painting decisions while learning to see and the arrival at an image you can call a painting. The unlimited challenges are in the conditions of the day. Wind, rain, clouds, temperature, tides, sunrises and sunsets, they all teach, so pay attention.
You're not always gonna make good paintings. There will be a lot of bad ones, but remember, those are paint decisions made in painting situations. I like to say I deposit those decisions in the bank and make future withdrawals! Plein air is an endless quest for knowledge. I set up to paint my MASTERPIECE every time. It hasn't been painted yet, but I've gotten real close. In the meantime that account keeps getting bigger so I can keep withdrawing in the quest for my masterpiece!
You have a way of capturing light and color so accurately. Can you tell me a bit about your process and technique?
Thank you so much Victoria, capturing the light is the name of the game. I am truly moved by it. It's all about being there, setting up to paint and reacting to the moods of the day. It's as they say the more you do ... the more you know and take that to the bank!!!
I paint with a 9x12 sienna pochade box with a tripod. I've got a plastic container filled with tubes of paint, there's turpentine and linseed oil - that's my medium - paper towels , duct tape, rope, a knife, bug spray, and sunscreen. It all goes in my paint bag which has a strap I throw over my shoulder and I am off to my next painting!!! For all those who want the plein air experience, GET OUT THERE AND CHASE THE LIGHT!!!
Who are your biggest influencers?
There are so many painters of the past, like Aldro T. Hibbard, Edgar Payne, Tom Thomson , George Bellows and Daniel Garber, to name a few on Instagram I find and admire new painters every day. Here's a few of my favorites:
Jon Hayes: @j.hayesart
Jimmy Craig Womble: @jimmycraig2
Alison Barry: @pleinal
Marc Grand Bois: @marcgrandbois
When did you join instagram, and how has it impacted you as an artist?
My friend Kate from South Street Gallery turned me on to Instagram in 2015, and I'm so glad she did. Before IG my work was local, applying to local galleries and shows reaching a limited, minimal audience. The GRAM has kicked the doors wide open and now my work has been seen and commented on worldwide. Instagram is an amazing platform; a tool every artist should have in their bag, and being able to communicate with fellow artists around the globe is a wonderful experience!!!
What advice would you give to artists who are either beginning their career, or working to develop their career?
To be an artist it has to be your passion. If that's the case, do whatever it takes to keep that alive! So go chase it, life is gonna happen no matter what. You gotta make the time to create.
I'm a life long resident of Weymouth, Massachusetts. It's a seaside town on the south shore of Boston Harbor. I was educated in the public schools there and went on to Massachusetts College of Art where my affinity for drawing became a full blown passion for painting. I grew up and worked on the water my whole life, first as a commercial clam digger and lobster and gillnet fisherman, and then a merchant mariner working on tugs, barges, derricks, and dredges up and down the entire east coast. In these coastal settings living out and under the brilliant light has been a life long soul filling intoxication !!! Its what inspires MY PAINT!!
I notice that many of your paintings are created outside. What led you to plein air painting?
As I said in my previous answer, I have always worked out in it, I am an OUTSIDER! I have a studio where I do studio work but the true inspiration of sight and paint reaction is in plein air... it's where I get schooled!
What are some of the benefits of painting outside, as well as the challenges?
The #1 benny is being outside, gotta get some of that vitamin D! Painting in plein air you stand before what matters. It's the landscape, seascape, urban settings etc... you are there to paint what you see, chase the light, and your ACTION is to make painting decisions while learning to see and the arrival at an image you can call a painting. The unlimited challenges are in the conditions of the day. Wind, rain, clouds, temperature, tides, sunrises and sunsets, they all teach, so pay attention.
You're not always gonna make good paintings. There will be a lot of bad ones, but remember, those are paint decisions made in painting situations. I like to say I deposit those decisions in the bank and make future withdrawals! Plein air is an endless quest for knowledge. I set up to paint my MASTERPIECE every time. It hasn't been painted yet, but I've gotten real close. In the meantime that account keeps getting bigger so I can keep withdrawing in the quest for my masterpiece!
You have a way of capturing light and color so accurately. Can you tell me a bit about your process and technique?
Thank you so much Victoria, capturing the light is the name of the game. I am truly moved by it. It's all about being there, setting up to paint and reacting to the moods of the day. It's as they say the more you do ... the more you know and take that to the bank!!!
I paint with a 9x12 sienna pochade box with a tripod. I've got a plastic container filled with tubes of paint, there's turpentine and linseed oil - that's my medium - paper towels , duct tape, rope, a knife, bug spray, and sunscreen. It all goes in my paint bag which has a strap I throw over my shoulder and I am off to my next painting!!! For all those who want the plein air experience, GET OUT THERE AND CHASE THE LIGHT!!!
Who are your biggest influencers?
There are so many painters of the past, like Aldro T. Hibbard, Edgar Payne, Tom Thomson , George Bellows and Daniel Garber, to name a few on Instagram I find and admire new painters every day. Here's a few of my favorites:
Jon Hayes: @j.hayesart
Jimmy Craig Womble: @jimmycraig2
Alison Barry: @pleinal
Marc Grand Bois: @marcgrandbois
When did you join instagram, and how has it impacted you as an artist?
My friend Kate from South Street Gallery turned me on to Instagram in 2015, and I'm so glad she did. Before IG my work was local, applying to local galleries and shows reaching a limited, minimal audience. The GRAM has kicked the doors wide open and now my work has been seen and commented on worldwide. Instagram is an amazing platform; a tool every artist should have in their bag, and being able to communicate with fellow artists around the globe is a wonderful experience!!!
What advice would you give to artists who are either beginning their career, or working to develop their career?
To be an artist it has to be your passion. If that's the case, do whatever it takes to keep that alive! So go chase it, life is gonna happen no matter what. You gotta make the time to create.
Sunday, February 23, 2020
Artist: Meredith Frauzel
Instagram: Meredithfrauzelart
Website: www.etsy.com/shop/SmallArtbyMeredith
My first interview is with Meredith Frauzel, a painter from Austin, Texas, who paints gorgeous, vibrant landscapes using tonalist techniques . I've been following Meredith for awhile now, and I'm so excited to learn more about her journey.
Hi Meredith! Tell me a bit about yourself and your background.
I live with my husband and dog Nigel in Austin, Texas but I’m a transplant from Canada where I grew up in Nova Scotia. Art has always been in my life although it was only 3 years ago that I began to explore it seriously.
When did your creative journey begin?
My career for many, many years was as a makeup artist, so brushes seem like a natural extension of my hand. I wasn’t particularly good at painting when I took an art class in university and was always comparing myself to the best artist in the class. That mindset really caused me to put down my brushes for 30 plus years.
When I left the workforce three years ago I remember hearing my father’s voice loud and clear in my ear telling me not to forget my art. He had always been a big supporter of mine which was kind of exceptional as he was a very practical man who made his living as a fishing Captain. Anyway, I’m not someone who can ignore such blatant messages so I immediately ordered some acrylics, brushes and small canvases online. I chose acrylics for the lack of smell and quick drying, and they worked well for awhile but as I naturally gravitated towards glazing, it was only a matter of time before I switched to oils.
What led you to paint landscapes?
Initially most of my subjects were birds, and honestly the thought of painting a landscape gave me such anxiety. Then one day my brother texted me with a request for a landscape of the brook behind our former childhood home. This was no simple request as it had all the elements and I had no clue how to paint water and reflections and trees. So I went online and my friend had recommended Michael James Smith videos. I watched them over and over. Blocking in with acrylics and refining and defining with oils became my process. I finished the painting and it was my first commission! That one request gave me the courage and determination to paint landscapes and I’ve never looked back. The only thing that has changed is my entire process.
I notice that many of your paintings consist of layers of color. Can you tell me a bit about your process?
Now, after working out a composition either by sketching on paper or using transparent paint to do a detailed “drawing” directly on my surface, I glaze several layers so this under painting will come through when I switch to more translucent and opaque paint. Liquin is my medium of choice as I work and my goal is to really not touch opaque paint colors until the end. This ensures there is a glow to the work as the eye unconsciously picks up the tonal painting underneath. After studying with Deborah Paris, a tonalism painter I admired , I have definitely been moving towards the contemporary tonalism style with the exception that I love, love painting details!!!
When did you join Instagram, and how has it impacted you as an artist?
Joining Instagram three years ago has actually changed my life. It introduced me to an art world I didn’t know existed. It gave me the opportunity to see first hand the process of so many talented artists.
Who are your biggest influencers?
I mentioned Deborah, but I really admire so many, including Donald Journey, Renato Muccillo (who is probably my biggest influence) Andrew Tishler, and artists that are at the same stage as I am. There is a sense of community.
What advice would you give to young artists?
I would always caution anyone who naturally compares themselves to others to really watch how social media is affecting your mood and ability to create and to take breaks if necessary. Thankfully for me as I’ve become older, those nagging thoughts and insecurities have pretty much left and I really just paint to explore and improve the quality of work I’m putting out there. I truly believe that if I continue to paint consistently that there is only one way to go and that is up!
So to young artists I say this; do the work, don’t compare your work to anyone else, explore constantly, learn to draw, take classes from artists you admire and realize that it will take time. There are no shortcuts to greatness!