This story was originally published in , Redeemer’s student newspaper, and has been republished with permission.
What is your main source of inspiration?
Right now, I mainly find inspiration through Scripture and nature. Last year, one of my projects incorporated a hike through the woods. Instead of painting a landscape, we focused on specific details, which was a really enriching experience.
Are there specific colours you鈥檙e drawn to?
Lately, I鈥檝e been interested in layering dark and light colours to get a marble effect. I鈥檝e been especially fascinated in experimenting with blues and reds to see how they interact. Certain geometric shapes have also become a big part of my work, such as circles and squares. In my encaustic work, I carve a layer of different colours to find different textures and hues.
What artists are you inspired by?
One artist I鈥檝e been inspired by is Frank Stella, whose work is very detailed. He paints geometric shapes intersected by white lines鈥 not paint, but the original canvas. His works are massive, so this amount of precision is crazy. I鈥檝e tried this technique in some of my work and found it difficult, but ultimately, rewarding. Throughout my exploration of art history, I鈥檝e always been inspired by the Impressionists. I鈥檝e done a couple of landscapes in an Impressionist theme and I鈥檝e found it so freeing and expressive. Van Gogh is one of my all-time favourites鈥攚hich is so classic鈥攂ut I can鈥檛 help but love his work.
What is your current project?
In my first year, I learned about the 鈥淒rama of Scripture鈥 and the six acts of the Bible. For the upcoming senior project, I decided to make an abstract painting for each act and incorporate a circle theme throughout all six. I鈥檓 considering using colour psychology throughout each work to add symbolism. My colour scheme will both connect and differentiate the pieces from each other.
How do you see yourself using your passion for art after school?
Depending on how this semester goes, I鈥檇 like to see myself as a working artist: entering my work into galleries, having shows, and producing a lot of art. There are many possibilities. I might work for a gallery or critique other works. This exhibition is self-paced, so it will show me what it鈥檚 like to produce art full-time.
How has your style evolved since you came to Redeemer?
When I came to Redeemer, I just wanted to paint. By taking 鈥淚ntro to Painting鈥 and 鈥淚ntro to Drawing,鈥 I learned to depict something as I actually saw it and not in the way I wanted it to look. We see differently in 3D versus 2D, so drawing and painting from life helped me to improve my translation between the two. In the senior painting class, you only have a certain number of colours, so I learned how to improve mixing and creating the colours I needed.
Last year I was introduced to encaustic as a part of the experimental art course. My first two pieces show a significant progression as I learned to use this medium better. I used more colour in the second one. As I鈥檝e been working with my art, I鈥檝e been reading and watching videos to improve and learn how to mix colours. After I鈥檝e finished the work, I mix my colours with beeswax and damar resin crystals鈥攖hese prevent the encaustic from melting in a hot room. When it鈥檚 melted, I add oil paints to create the colours I want. When I started at Redeemer, I focused on painting accurately, and I thought that a painting couldn鈥檛 be good unless it looked realistic. Since then, I鈥檝e learned that there are so many other ways to interpret whether a painting is good or not, and I鈥檝e grown to appreciate creating abstract art. I find so much freedom in working this way as I鈥檓 not restricted to a specific subject.
What is the most challenging part of your art process?
I find it really hard to get started. I do a lot of research as I try to figure out what I want to do and how to find inspiration. This takes a long time, but there comes a moment when it 鈥渃licks,鈥 and I know exactly what I want to do. Right now, I have this image of six paintings and I know how I want them to look, but I still have to figure out how to create each of them. With encaustic, this has been an interesting process because you don鈥檛 see the final image until it鈥檚 done, whereas with painting you gradually see the forms appear and can change them as you like.
Do you find that your finished work looks different from or similar to how you originally
pictured it?
Both. I was doing a study for the last part of my senior project, and it slipped on the wall and fell so that it hung from the nail diagonally. I instantly loved it, because it added dimension and contrast to my other pieces.
How would you describe your style?
When I鈥檓 working with encaustic, my style is pretty abstract, which is a product of my learning process as I discover how to use this medium. When I use acrylics, I love to incorporate the Impressionist style and use thick brushstrokes. Finding texture is very important to me, which is why I like encaustic so much鈥攜ou can find so many textures with it. Also, it smells really good.