Interview Blog

1)    For how long have you been making art?

"I don't remember a time when I wasn't making some form of art, be it drawing, painting, singing, acting, etc."

2)    When did you first become interested in art?

"Isn't that in some way the same as the first question? I suppose it was when I realized that I actually had some basic level of skill in it, especially by comparison to the majority of my peers at the time."

3)    I see you enjoy “Alice in Wonderland.” What is the attraction?

"It's not a specific attraction to 'Alice in Wonderland.' Though, I suppose I do have a soft spot for that specific story. I think it's more about the idea of twisted fairytales and topsy-turvy things. The strange, abnormal, unusual. I tend [to lean] toward darker things usually, and a lot of 'Alice' is either dark, or able to be turned dark. For example, American McGee's 'Alice.'"

4)    What do the “Alice in Wonderland” pieces mean to you? Do they represent anything in particular?

"Answered above? This also seems kind of like it's the same question as the one above it."

5)    Your piece “The Hand” is definitely my favorite of all the works I’ve seen by you. It stands out from the rest because it is so different, particularly in terms of color palette and subject matter. What inspired you to create this work?

"Actually, it was a photograph from a climbing magazine that a friend of mine loved and wanted me to paint for him, so I did. I also wanted to challenge myself to a new level of realism, higher than any I'd quite tried before."

6)    I just noticed one of your other pieces. The one with the nude woman and the meat hanging in the background. This is another great piece! It sort of reminds me of “The Hand.” Are they meant to be similar?

"Not really, it's supposed to be linked to the bikini meat painting. They're kind of about the way women are stereotypically viewed. Or about the way someone once made me feel. Art therapy 101. Haha."

7)    Which one did you make first?

"The hand came first."

8)    Do you prefer painting or drawing?

"I think I prefer drawing, but I happen to greatly enjoy both."

9)    Have you ever experimented outside those media?

"Very definitely, yes. I do costume work, meaning actual outfits and makeup. I've also made a claymation film (in a group project for a class) and worked with paper, jewelry, tape, sculpy, clay, fimo, etc. I've done woodblock and linoleum cuts/prints. And… I don't know, other stuff. I honestly can't remember all of it."

10) Where do you normally create your pieces? Do you have a studio?

"I work wherever I have the space or inclination, I guess. This semester/year I have a studio, but in previous years I just worked either in the communal paint rooms or in my apartment."

11) What would you say is your primary reason for making art?

"I enjoy it."

12) Do you do any freelance work?

"I've done some freelance stuff, not as much recently as in the past, though."

13) What are your plans for the future?

"Not sure. Currently, I'm planning on going in to early childhood education. Not really that art-related."

14) If you had your choice of careers, which would you choose?

"Umm, probably a broadway singer/actress. Haha. Or a surgeon."

15) Are you ready to graduate? Or do you feel like you would like more time before stepping out into the “real” world?

"I'm ready to graduate because I'm ready to move on towards what will actually be my future profession. But, at the same time, I'm enjoying the communal aspect of school, and don't quite feel ready to give that up yet."