One thing that always amazes me is seeing the incredible things that female creatives like yourself are doing at such a young age. This leads me to ask, how old are you?
I am 22-years-old!
Can you share a bit about your background with us?
I was born and raised in Bakersfield, California and I currently reside there ever since graduating from Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, FL. I studied Studio Art while in school and I am now working towards a teaching credential to be a future high school art teacher. I hope to pursue my own creative endeavors while helping students figure out their own artistic voice. I’m also an avid reader and you will often find me with my adorable golden- doodle or at my favorite coffee shop.
I hope to pursue my own creative endeavors while helping students figure out their own artistic voice.
When did you realize that you have a talent and passion for creating? And what is the earliest thing you remember creating?
I have been creating for as long as I can remember, but my earliest memories of being creative are trying my best to replicate animated characters from my favorite Disney movies into my sketchbook.
How would you describe your artistic style?
I’d describe my artistic style as whimsical realism. That’s definitely not an actual art style, but I believe that encapsulates it pretty well. I am drawn to vibrant colors and fluidity with paint, but I also value accuracy.
I am drawn to vibrant colors and fluidity with paint, but I also value accuracy.
On more than one occasion I have found myself blown away by the beauty of the colorful California landscape on your personal Instagram account. Do you think your physical surroundings have influenced your use of color in your paintings?
Thank you so much! Yes, absolutely. When I create landscape paintings I tend to reference my home state because it’s what I’m most familiar with and I believe its beauty is unlike any other (although I might be a tad biased). California has desert, beaches, and mountains, which are a full spectrum of colors that I cannot get enough of.
What strikes inspiration for you?
My faith, relationships with people, books, and nature strike the most inspiration for me. Any form of storytelling really inspires me as well, such as photography and film.
If you could own any piece of artwork in the world, which would it be, and why?
Oh my this is a tough question for me because I have so many favorites! I’d either want to own The Kiss by Gustav Klimt or the sculpture Venus de Milo. Gustav Klimt’s work never ceases to make me feel comforted and I’m definitely a fan of his use of gold leaf. If I owned Venus de Milo, I would never tire of admiring the attention to detail that the ancient Greeks held.
What range of materials do you use? And which do you most prefer?
As far as materials go, I’ve experimented with pretty much everything I could get my hands on, but I prefer acrylic and watercolor paints. I use those two materials the most, but I hope to continue exploring the world of ceramics in the future.
In looking at the art you share on your artistic Instagram page, I can’t help but notice that you have a lot of portrait style pieces. What is it about people that draws you to them as subjects of art?
My obsession with painting people probably comes from my years in high school of practicing realism by looking at photographs of celebrities and replicating them to the best of my ability on paper. At the time I thought that was as far as I’d go with portraits, but it has turned into a need to express portraits further than they appear in life. Painting the human form is so exciting because every person is so different. Mixing skin tones, adding emotion into a facial expression, and bringing life to the eyes, all of those aspects make humanity my favorite subject. If I can express an emotion or a story that goes much deeper than a face, I feel like I’ve accomplished something much greater than a beautiful aesthetic.
Mixing skin tones, adding emotion into a facial expression, and bringing life to the eyes, all of those aspects make humanity my favorite subject.
What artistic movement do you most identify with and why?
I think my work identifies mostly with romanticism and fauvism. It’s truly hard to decide, but I think it ultimately comes down to the content and colors of my work being under those movements.
I’m sure that you have heard many different reactions to your work. Which responses are most vivid in your memory?
The responses that are the most vivid in my memory are those of my professors who have pushed me out of my comfort zone with my creations, telling me to not settle for what I know I’m good at, but to dive deeper into my work. My favorite responses tend to be when I am told that my work inspires others to be creative themselves. It reminds me why having this passion makes me happy.
Which emotions serve as the strongest motivators for your work?
I’m motivated mostly by the feeling of contentment and urgency. I believe both correlate for me because I have this urgency to create until I feel content with my work, or am content to just be at peace with my creative process.
I’m motivated mostly by the feeling of contentment and urgency.
If you could communicate one idea through all of your artwork, which idea would you want it to be?
I want my work to communicate inspiration. Not only to inspire others to create, but to inspire the feeling that there is beauty in all things and it is our choice to see that. I think too often we go through life seeing everything in glimpses and are seemingly unimpressed. I paint how I see the world, which to me is vibrant and full of so much to offer. I want my art to encourage the desire to be more awe-inspired by the world and its inhabitants.
I know that many artists have strong preferences about whether or not they listen to music when working, and what genre if they do listen. What are your music preferences when you are creating?
Music is a must for me! I’m a pretty eclectic music lover, but I mostly listen to indie pop or folk rock when I am painting. I’m a huge Lumineers fan, I have several paintings inspired by their music, but if it has a fun beat, tells a story, or makes me feel deeply, I’m most likely painting to it.
How can our readers find your artwork?
You can find my artwork on @saer.art on Instagram!
No Comments