Q: How do you create your work? Can you walk us through the process?
A: Sure thing! Usually, my ideas start off with a rough sketch from my book, along with descriptions, so I don't forget what it is I plan to do. If I have doubts as to poses, I'll either bribe a friend to pose while I sketch, ham it up in the mirror, or go on istock or somewhere similar as a last resort to see if I can find a pose or texture that's close to idea I had in my head.
From there, depending on the medium, I'll create a light charcoal or pencil layer to map the piece out. Once that's done, I begin the shading process for the under-layer. In oils, (after having primed) I like to use that nice warm burnt sienna and white. In pastels, I use just charcoal for the darker values. In colored pencils, I use just indigo. This process takes me a bit longer in oils because I like to layer really thin. As far as medium goes, I like the orange-smelling stuff. I am also partial to the turpentine-substitute, as my family tends to gripe less about the house stinking.
Then it's time for what I call the "Lighting Layer" - and that's where the magic really begins to show. I begin adding color value to the piece: purple being the darkest parts of the shadows; reds, oranges, and yellow for my direct light colors; blue and green for the lighting in the shadows, or secondary lighting. Once this layer is complete, the piece usually looks like a technicolor dream from the 80's and I'm half-tempted to leave it as is and call it "done". If I'm doing this in colored pencil, I try to keep my hand really light -especially when dealing with the yellows- because it's too hard to blend, otherwise.
Then I add the local color layer. That is, the color the objects in the piece are supposed to be. Like my olive skin. Or.. fire-red hair. Or your shirt. I'm blending and adding the whole time, coupled with a few strokes of the lighting layer's color opposite for extra dimension. In pastels, I only use my finger for the larger, less defined portions of the piece. I found this cool, double-sided rubber stylus tool at the art store that I believe is supposed to be used for clay, but it works AMAZINGLY for getting into those really tight detailed pieces in a chalk pastel painting. For oils, I'm a fan of the feathering brush to add extra dimension via all the other layers. It really helps create a delicate feeling. I don't like to use black from the tube. I like to make my own. It feels, I don't know, more life-like to me. Also, 99.9% of the time, the black I'm aiming for isn't even really black to begin with. Our mind just trains us to think it is. Even shadows have a color.
The final layer isn't really much of a layer, but I call it my "Detail Layer", and it's just that: adding all the last minute detail to the piece. For example, the sparkles from water droplets or glass, "sharpening" just those few blades of grass in the front. The finishing touches that help add life to the piece.
Q: Why are you an artist?
A: I don't know, why is the sky blue?! I didn't choose to become an artist; I think God chose it for me. Believe me, sometimes I wish it were the other way around! Had I grown up to be an engineer or pilot like my parents had hoped, I probably wouldn't be struggling to make ends meat to the extent that I am in these economic times, as a single mom with an 8 year old. It's been my experience as an artist that we're the last ones hired and the first fired when money gets tight. A shame really, but I love what I do and can't imagine being anything else. Art, be it visually or musically, is who I am as an individual. It's no less a part of me than, say, my eye color or height (I'm 5'1")!
Q: Is there a concept behind your work? If so, please tell us about it.
A: Yeah, there is actually. I started a blog a little while ago called "Dreams, Myth, & Reality" (http://kristinavanous.blogspot.com ), and while I'm still trying to figure out how blogs work in the networking world, the basis of why I created it was to solidify why I'm doing art, or at least, where my concepts come from. The scenes and images I create are based on essentially just that: my dreams, myths (I'm a huge fan of folklore and stories, both fiction and non-), and reality - the things that I see or experience in my life. I generally try to make my paintings as realistic as possible, even if they are fictitious. Every character has a story, including myself. I love on those characters with the time and interest that every person wants.You know what, I've had a lot of people throughout my life not believe in me either; people who've meant a lot to me. That really hurts. I'm sure there are many others out there reading this who have felt the same way at one point or another. So, in a sense, my paintings are a way of shouting "Hey I'm real! Share your love, and I'll show you the beauty of mine!" Does that make sense?
Q: Why do you use the medium that you use?
A: Well, I use a lot of different mediums, but I'd say my favorite -at least visually- is with chalk pastel. It's more instant in the gratification process, and it doesn't stink. I also like that I can stop anywhere I like (unlike oils) without worrying about it setting on me while I'm away. The downside is that I constantly have to tell people "Don't touch!" so they don't smear my work. I don't like using the fixatives because it changes the colors. Oils are nice when I want something quality that is a bit more durable than my pastels. I apply both very similarly but if I'm working in oils, I tend to try and do a few projects at once because I don't have the patience to wait while the layer dries before starting the next. Instant gratification!!!
Q: Who are some of your favorite artists?
A: I've got a huge list but I'm going to name a few of my tops. You're going to think I'm so corny for this first one, but I'm just gonna come out and say it anyway: Bob Ross. I don't even do paintings like him, I know, but I just remember watching his show as a little kid and being totally mesmerized at how easy he made it seem to paint. It really gave me the confidence to be creative at that age. I also love Norman Rockwell's scenes. The top of my list would be Rembrandt (omg, I love love LOVE his paintings! ) He's been a huge inspiration for me.
A: Sure thing! Usually, my ideas start off with a rough sketch from my book, along with descriptions, so I don't forget what it is I plan to do. If I have doubts as to poses, I'll either bribe a friend to pose while I sketch, ham it up in the mirror, or go on istock or somewhere similar as a last resort to see if I can find a pose or texture that's close to idea I had in my head.
From there, depending on the medium, I'll create a light charcoal or pencil layer to map the piece out. Once that's done, I begin the shading process for the under-layer. In oils, (after having primed) I like to use that nice warm burnt sienna and white. In pastels, I use just charcoal for the darker values. In colored pencils, I use just indigo. This process takes me a bit longer in oils because I like to layer really thin. As far as medium goes, I like the orange-smelling stuff. I am also partial to the turpentine-substitute, as my family tends to gripe less about the house stinking.
Then it's time for what I call the "Lighting Layer" - and that's where the magic really begins to show. I begin adding color value to the piece: purple being the darkest parts of the shadows; reds, oranges, and yellow for my direct light colors; blue and green for the lighting in the shadows, or secondary lighting. Once this layer is complete, the piece usually looks like a technicolor dream from the 80's and I'm half-tempted to leave it as is and call it "done". If I'm doing this in colored pencil, I try to keep my hand really light -especially when dealing with the yellows- because it's too hard to blend, otherwise.
Then I add the local color layer. That is, the color the objects in the piece are supposed to be. Like my olive skin. Or.. fire-red hair. Or your shirt. I'm blending and adding the whole time, coupled with a few strokes of the lighting layer's color opposite for extra dimension. In pastels, I only use my finger for the larger, less defined portions of the piece. I found this cool, double-sided rubber stylus tool at the art store that I believe is supposed to be used for clay, but it works AMAZINGLY for getting into those really tight detailed pieces in a chalk pastel painting. For oils, I'm a fan of the feathering brush to add extra dimension via all the other layers. It really helps create a delicate feeling. I don't like to use black from the tube. I like to make my own. It feels, I don't know, more life-like to me. Also, 99.9% of the time, the black I'm aiming for isn't even really black to begin with. Our mind just trains us to think it is. Even shadows have a color.
The final layer isn't really much of a layer, but I call it my "Detail Layer", and it's just that: adding all the last minute detail to the piece. For example, the sparkles from water droplets or glass, "sharpening" just those few blades of grass in the front. The finishing touches that help add life to the piece.
Q: Why are you an artist?
A: I don't know, why is the sky blue?! I didn't choose to become an artist; I think God chose it for me. Believe me, sometimes I wish it were the other way around! Had I grown up to be an engineer or pilot like my parents had hoped, I probably wouldn't be struggling to make ends meat to the extent that I am in these economic times, as a single mom with an 8 year old. It's been my experience as an artist that we're the last ones hired and the first fired when money gets tight. A shame really, but I love what I do and can't imagine being anything else. Art, be it visually or musically, is who I am as an individual. It's no less a part of me than, say, my eye color or height (I'm 5'1")!
Q: Is there a concept behind your work? If so, please tell us about it.
A: Yeah, there is actually. I started a blog a little while ago called "Dreams, Myth, & Reality" (http://kristinavanous.
Q: Why do you use the medium that you use?
A: Well, I use a lot of different mediums, but I'd say my favorite -at least visually- is with chalk pastel. It's more instant in the gratification process, and it doesn't stink. I also like that I can stop anywhere I like (unlike oils) without worrying about it setting on me while I'm away. The downside is that I constantly have to tell people "Don't touch!" so they don't smear my work. I don't like using the fixatives because it changes the colors. Oils are nice when I want something quality that is a bit more durable than my pastels. I apply both very similarly but if I'm working in oils, I tend to try and do a few projects at once because I don't have the patience to wait while the layer dries before starting the next. Instant gratification!!!
Q: Who are some of your favorite artists?
A: I've got a huge list but I'm going to name a few of my tops. You're going to think I'm so corny for this first one, but I'm just gonna come out and say it anyway: Bob Ross. I don't even do paintings like him, I know, but I just remember watching his show as a little kid and being totally mesmerized at how easy he made it seem to paint. It really gave me the confidence to be creative at that age. I also love Norman Rockwell's scenes. The top of my list would be Rembrandt (omg, I love love LOVE his paintings! ) He's been a huge inspiration for me.
Q: What is the role of the artist in our society? In Washington?
A: Artists have been given a true gift. Regardless of geography or medium, it's our job to communicate to others. It's one thing to explain via words or writing from one person to another. It becomes oh so much clearer when a person can actually communicate the explanation through literally showing them. Is what you are showing consistent with your intent? In other words, are you clearly getting what's on your mind across to others? Ask around if you don't know. Your work is more than just a picture or song. Move somebody to achieve understanding with it.
Q: Where do you see yourself as an artist in 5 years?
A: In 5 years, I plan to be living on a sailboat somewhere in the Pacific ocean! We will be in the midst of a 10-year voyage around our earth. It is my goal by that time to be established enough that I can work anywhere in the world as a freelance artist. I have a feeling that I'm going to be so flooded with worldly inspiration that my work will expand ten-fold, which is super exciting because I already have so much I want to share. Hopefully, there is a gallery (or five) out there that would like to hold my originals so they don't get ruined while I'm abroad. I know I've got the chops, I just need the demand of others for me to supply it.
Q: What are your ultimate goals as an artist?
A: To illuminate, resonate, and inspire the divine beauty of love through art. That's my ultimate life goal as an artist. And I want to do it in as many places, with as many people as I possibly can.
Q: What does art mean to you?
A: That's a great question! I actually recorded a video response a few months ago that is pretty fitting, and thought perhaps I'll share it with you. It can be found at: http://www.twitvid.com/2D627. It's a long poem I wrote and recorded via laptop, so you'll notice I'm looking down a lot. Summed up? I [heart] art.
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