Interview with Walter Art Gallery
I had the privilege of being interviewed by Charlotte Strawn of the Walter Art Gallery in Scottsdale last month. I thought you might enjoy seeing what we talked about.
Is there a specific person or school that influenced you to be an artist?
I started drawing at the age of 3 and always wanted to be an artist my whole life. I was very blessed to have found an amazing teacher and mentor at age 14 named Tonja Sell. She helped train me and get into art school at the Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design in Denver, CO. She is an incredible artist and we are still friends today. Her work can be found on Instagram @tonja_sell
What was the inspiration for the piece “Is there a Road Map?”
This is the first in my new grid series. It is titled, “Is there a road map?”. I envisioned this piece in mostly grays and neutrals but I love the band of color running right through it horizontally. It is like the figure is searching, looking, trying to find a sense of order in a chaotic space. I painted each square separately with no plan. I just allowed my intuition to choose which color goes in which square.
What is your preferred type of paper to use, and why?
When I paint in watercolor, I use Fabriano Artistico 300 lb. Hot Press watercolor paper. It is soft and smooth and I love the way the paint glides over it. It allows you to build up layers and it has a beautiful deckled edge.
Tell us a little bit about your grid series.
In December last year, I had a dream in which I had a vision of a painting with grids or squares. The painting had a figure in it, but not fully drawn out or represented. Just a hint of a person made up of all these squares. It was almost like a pixelated digital image. Mostly it was black and white and gray. But there were places with color too. When I woke up this vision stayed with me and I knew what it meant and why I was supposed to create a series of paintings from this. I am working on this series of paintings that explore the loneliness and separation of our overly connected society.
I’m creating these paintings starting by drawing the figure. I then overlay a grid pattern on top of the drawing. The grid or square pattern represents the digital world and how it infiltrates every aspect of modern life. Through mobile phones, laptops, computers, iPads, and social media, people are able to “connect” with friends and people around the world. And yet these devices seem to create a barrier, a separation between people.
Through this series, I am exploring concepts of connection, loneliness, separateness and all of the human emotions that are especially heightened through the quarantine and pandemic of 2020. It has been a very timely art series and I’m excited to see where it continues to take me.
Have you noticed any changes in the local arts scene recently?
When the pandemic first hit, I was very concerned for all of my artist friends and being able to make an income this year. All of the festivals were shut down and many galleries closed their doors. Everyone has had to become a lot more creative in how to get their art out there and market it to collectors. I started a series on Wednesdays on Instagram called Artists to Love where I post one of my favorite artists and include their Instagram name so hopefully others will follow them too. We all have to help each other grow our businesses during this difficult year.
Is there a person or place that you find particularly inspiring?
I love travel. I gather so much inspiration for my artwork while exploring other cities and cultures. Europe is by far my favorite. Paris, London, Florence, Rome all ignite my creativity in incredible ways. I spent a month in Spain last year and can’t wait to return. I think the history, culture, food, colors, streets, architecture and people of these places all inspire me in different ways.
If you would like to check out Walter Art Gallery, please follow them here: @walterartgallery