When did you start painting?
Not too long ago! I had been making and selling greeting cards as my creative outlet (aka side hustle) and hit a creative rut. I started to make these expressive marks and compositions as a result and posted them on IG and received some encouraging feedback. That encouragement alongside the joy I got in creating these new pieces sparked an interest in painting. I had never learned how to paint with oils and it seemed like a medium I would enjoy. Overwhelmed with where to start, in January 2017 I enrolled in an oil painting 101 class at a nearby art institute. While I threw away every painting I made in that class (lol), that really gave me the boost of confidence to start painting on my own. As the story goes, I've never looked back!
What inspires you?
Well, there's the tangible things that inspire me like nature, architecture, poetry, scripture, the way we live our lives. But really the common thread through everything that inspires me is this sense or longing of harmony. For me, I translate that harmony into simple structures that interact with each other.
Describe your process. What tools do you use?
My designs always start out as contour line drawings; either in my sketchbook or using large newspaper pads and charcoal. I snap photos of the ones I like and then import them into Adobe Illustrator. This part of the process is very much the 'graphic designer' part of me. I upload my swatches I want to use and play around with the color until I'm satisfied with the piece. From there, I'll use that digital version as the blueprint for the painting. If the painting is small enough, I'll trace the composition onto the canvas/paper. Painting is a whole other process so I'll save that for another day!
How do you choose your colors?
Honestly, it's purely subjective. I'm very fond of earth colors and unexpected combinations. I like working within limitations so I often work in a similar palette. When picking that palette, I try to pick a colors with different values. I feel the need to exhaust a color palette before I move on. So far, that hasn't happened!