Interference green. It is somewhat transparent and flips from green to orangey-pink depending on the light and one’s perspective.

I was a very introverted and an observant child who loved to draw everywhere and on everything from age 2 on. I had a limited exposure to “art” as a child, being from a rural area in Minnesota, so TV, movies (in the rural movie theater!) and magazines were my first experience with images, fashion and design. It wasn’t until high school that I went to a museum on a field trip in Minneapolis; it was a pivotal experience and confirmed my desire to be an artist.

I knew early on as a child that I loved to draw and I was adept at creating representational drawings from observation and also from copying photographs. I received a lot of praise for my ability, and I was encouraged to continue with my interest in art. I went onto college majoring in both visual and music, eventually graduating with an MFA in Studio Art. 20+ years later, I have a working studio space to create my work and research my interests, as well as find opportunities to stay active in my practice as an artist.

I think an interest in science has always been there for me, although my school experience as a young person did not encourage girls to pursue science/math fields. I sort of put this interest on the bookshelf and not directly into my work until a few years ago, when I found a need to create more continuity between my life and art. The pandemic also drove home a desire to focus on a wholistic life/art practice that integrated my studio work, job and home/family life together. In addition, I like to inject new ideas into my work, especially if I am creating a new series. My research into phenomenology, metaphysics, myths and various spiritual practices have kind of melded together into my new work, providing a lot of material to sort through. I have gravitated towards using geometric patterns in conjunction with “chance” mark-making since the beginning of my undergraduate painting days; grids and patterns have a design structure that is an interesting foil to the unplanned elements of paint and organic forms. For me, these elements are simultaneously structural and emblematic in terms of content or narrative.

Yes and no. In 2016 I created a series pf paintings and prints called “Alt-Scape” which used photoshop as an experimental part of the process. I was interested in layering images (drawn and from my photos) to fracture the overall image into overlapping and conjoined areas. The subject of the series was based on environmental concerns and historical attitudes towards our use of the land as a commodity, etc. I used a projector to trace shapes onto the canvasses, and then further altered the images through painting and printing processes. My latest work has relied less on this technique, although I still like layering images with painted layers through a more improvisational process. I do not have a set image or product in mind when I begin a piece, it works itself out as it goes along. I really like working on the surface directly, without the “digital middleman.”

Over the years I have gravitated to a variety of artists. I think some of the most influential artists have mostly all been painters including Pat Steir, Philip Taaffe, Chuck Close, Jasper Johns. There are, of course, many more contemporary artists and historical figures that are part of my consciousness, but the previous artists were formative in my thinking about art concepts and techniques. I continue to learn from their work today.

I still love a brush on canvas and a pencil on paper. The other stuff like stencils and airbrush are just extra fun.

I work in my studio as often as I can during the day. When I am not working at my job outside my home studio or taking care of family and household chores, I am there—even if to just look and think about things. The winter season is my most important time to create new work in the studio, as the desire to be outside in the garden in the spring and summer is often very compelling and distracting!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie!

The illustrations from my favorite children’s book ‘Duncan and Dolores.’ I didn’t grow up surrounded by art or visiting art museums. Though I know I saw some before turning 21, I first remember seeing real art my first summer in DC, when I saw Kehinde Wiley’s illustration of LL Cool J in the National Portrait Gallery.

I attended a book signing for artist and writer Mari Andrew. In her talk she discussed just giving watercolors a try with no agenda, basically saying ‘if I can do it, you can do it.’ That stuck with me, as someone who had grown up her entire life thinking that she was not an artist. The weekend of that talk, which took place in March 2018, I went to the art store and picked up a watercolor pad, paint, pencils and a sharpie, and took Mari’s Skillshare class on drawing. From there it was off to the races, and I haven’t stopped making work since.

I had gone past the point of burnout in my day job as a communications manager and knew that my only other real marketable skill, or passion rather, was making art. I decided I wanted to see how far I could take it and began researching MFA programs in Fall 2020. I applied and was accepted to Wash U’s Illustration and Visual Culture program in March 2021 and began classes in the fall. It’s been a rollercoaster to say the least, but I am so happy to be here and have an experience that my family and friends could only fathom achieving.

I started the podcast in 2018 as a way to learn more about how other artists make work, as I was looking to get an MFA in art history at the time. I’ve since ceased production on it, as I’ve needed to shift my focus back to making work and getting through the semester. As far as future projects go, I’ve got some great things coming up but the ink isn’t quite dry yet, so keep your eyes peeled to my social media for announcements! :-)

Alma Thomas, Mari Andrew, Andy Warhol, and my fellow classmates!

My hands, and my computer.

When it comes to printmaking, I go in to the studio with either flowers or leaves, and plenty of paper, and just go into the paint cabinet and get to work. When I’m creating something for class, I typically work from home when sketching and painting. When I’m in the studio I like to listen to audiobooks, and I don’t like staying long - I’m generally there for an hour or so. I am more of a deliberate artist - get in and get out. I do a lot more conceptualizing online, stalking and saving the art of people I admire via Instagram and as screenshots.