Today’s post is the result of an interview with my daughter Charissa. She’s been an artist from the time she was old enough to hold a crayon till the present, so for about 18 years I have seen her grow and evolve as an artist. She recently started selling her art on Artpal.
We both have our ideas about how things should be done when it comes to creating art. This sometimes leads to some interesting discussions, but generally we get along and I thank God for my kind, beautiful daughter and the privilege I have of being her mother.
*How do you get started with your art?
Well first I need an idea and I can get ideas anywhere- online, outside in nature, in the city, in the fields etc. All I need is one spark of inspiration to get me going. Looking at gardens, plants, animals, bugs can give me great ideas and inspiration.
I also like to look at other people’s art. This is one reason why I follow so many great artists (and photographers) on Facebook and Twitter.
Sometimes I like to have “brainstorm sessions” where I just sit (or walk around) and ponder. Then I write down my ideas, or play around with my paints and colored pencils and put my ideas on paper. It’s lots of fun and I don’t need to think too deeply about what I’m doing. All I’m doing is playing and getting ideas.
I also like to take a notebook with me, wherever I go just in case an idea comes along. I try to make the most of every opportunity.
*Now that you have your ideas, what’s step two in the process of creating art? As I talked about earlier, I sketch my ideas out on paper and try out some different versions. I like to make things called thumbnail sketches. They’re basically smaller versions of a sketch that only portrays the most important parts like composition and positioning.
I might even go on Pinterest and see if anyone else had similar ideas. That way, I can get more inspiration and new perspectives on the art I that I want to create. I try not to spend too much time looking, because then I’ll start to feel the pressure of making my painting totally original. So I just take a quick look and use some of the ideas that stuck out to me.
*Do you have to be inspired or in a certain mood or frame of mind to create art? Well, it certainly doesn’t hurt to be in the mood for it. Most of the time I really look forward to making my art after doing a bunch of stuff that I don’t really like to do. This is one reason why I work on my art towards the end of the day. It gives me an incentive to finish my other work. The other reason is that I’m more creative at night.
But there are times where I have to make myself work on my art whether or not I feel like it. It might be because I feel tired and want to play, or the picture I’m working on looks horrible (so far). But in the end, I’m usually glad that I did it anyway.
I try to work on certain pieces 30 minutes a day. There will be exceptions, of course. For example if I’m trying to make something look better, but it keeps getting worse and worse, I stop early and take a break from it. I usually know what to do by the next day. I sometimes even finish a picture earlier than I thought I would. This is bittersweet, in a way, because I’m glad that I finished on time, but I’m also sad the journey has come to an end.
*Is your art ever influenced by the life events that happen around you or do you ever express your emotions through your art? I find that a lot of my work is influenced by current events. Holidays, tragedies, or anything else like that. I rarely ever make work based on how I FEEL. It’s not because I’m against vent-art. There are a lot of iconic works that are vent-art, such as The Scream by artist Edvard Munch and Guernica by Picasso.
I guess I make art based on what I WANT to happen and how I want to feel. Take my flying turtle paintings, for example. I didn’t make them just to escape, it’s a vision of what I want portrayed symbolically. Flying turtles would be pretty cool, but it also portrays freedom. And that’s what I wanted during this Coronavirus pandemic. Some people may think my art is escapist, and in some ways it is. It’s an escape away from my current situation and gives me something to look forward to (metaphorically).
*What are color swatches and why do you use them? I create color swatches by painting colors on paper to see how they would look together. It helps me pick out color schemes and to see how colors look next to each other. It’s a very relaxing activity.
*What are your favorite colors to use? I really like using blues, teals, purples, pinks, and occasionally greens. They are calm, bright colors that make me happy when I use them. They remind me of spring, nature, flowers, the ocean, sunsets, and turtles.
*What’s your favorite painting that you’ve created and what was the process behind making it. I think the best painting that I created recently is one called Growth #4. I like all the detail, how the shading and lighting look, and the message behind it. I created this painting because I was really thinking about Matthew 7:13-14, which says the following:
“Enter through the narrow gate for wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow that leads to life and only a few find it.”
As I thought about the verse, I imagined a small door that someone wanted to enter. I kind of imagined a narrow path in the middle of an overgrown forest that led to a giant tree with a tiny door. I went with a tree because trees represent life, knowledge, refuge, and strength, which is what God has.
I also managed to use only 9 colors for the entire thing because it unifies it with the previous 3 paintings I made. I find it easier to use fewer colors. It makes things less confusing and makes the picture look more harmonious, and also gives it a specific mood. I also think it’s a fun challenge to do.
I used green, teal, purple, blues, pinks, and a very light and pale yellowish color for this piece. It represents the meaning of this series, which is “Growth”, both literally and metaphorically.
You can find Charissa’s website at: https://ctartistrychristianart.weebly.com/