5 questions+answers 1 > What's your favorite color and why? My favorite color growing up was lime green; I always loved vibrant and exciting colors. While green still remains one of my favorites, most recently I have been saying that my favorite color is the point where alizarin crimson meets yellow. While it's easy to say that this color is orange, I really do enjoy the process of mixing these two colors on canvas and seeing them still in the state of not fully blended. This color brings a sense of happiness and brilliance to a piece that makes it feel alive for me. 2 > You have a strong illustration style or vibe where does that come from? Honestly, I didn't start out leaning toward the illustrative style, but over time it has developed naturally for me. I grew up in the 90s as a punk rock kid surrounded by musicians and artists who leaned towards bright colors and intense imagery. This part of my life shows up frequently in my artwork. Additionally, I spent most of my adulthood working in the counseling field working specifically on trauma cases. The work I did surrounded me with some of the darkest areas of the human experience, and by the time I left I struggled to see anything but trauma in the world. The artwork was a way for me to release that, but I didn't want to focus on the darkness anymore. My style allows me to show parts of that darkness in ways that maybe aren't visible initially. Like counseling, artwork requires one to look deeper to see the true meaning of a piece and I love the storytelling behind it. Every piece I paint has a story and purpose behind it.
3 > What would you tell younger women that are just starting their art career? The first thing I would tell them is to embrace themselves just as they are. The world often puts expectations on women to act and feel certain ways; as an artist, it is so important to put those misconceptions aside and allow yourself to be whomever you want to be. You don't have to be like any other artist out there, or any other human out there. Artists are expected to be quirky and eccentric, and so if you feel awkward it is ok to just own that feeling.
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