Sara Lee Beautiful Bizarre Artist Directory member provides some fascinating insights into her practice and experience as a surreal digital artist, as she responds to the questions below:
- What piece of advice do you have to unlearn to get to the next step of your art career?
- If the child version of you could see you now, what do you think they would say/think?
- How do you approach the challenge of staying motivated and inspired in your art practice?
- How do you differentiate yourself and your work from other artists in your field?
What piece of advice do you have to unlearn to get to the next step of your art career?
Every piece needs to be a finished masterpiece. I want to instead learn to let go, experiment more, and embrace the imperfections in the process. I realize holding every project to a high standard is cause for frustration. Nothing should stop me from going to the studio and painting whatever I want. Instead, the idea of polishing and creating a finished masterpiece overwhelms me, causing me to stall. I’m in the earlier stages of learning oil painting, and I want to improve and create more paintings that are simply for practice. I want to allow myself the freedom and space to explore techniques that I may have never tried before. I realize some of the best work comes through that level of exploration.
If the child version of you could see you now, what do you think they would say/think?
The child version of me might be surprised and, I’d hope, impressed by the artist I’ve become. I’ve been drawing ever since I was a child, though I have evolved as an artist in some unexpected ways. I feel she would be surprised by my color choices. Growing up, I often drew in only graphite or charcoal/black and white mediums. I now explore very vibrant, colorful palettes, which is a big shift. She also might be astonished by my digital painting, as computers and such technology were still quite new when I was a child. Since there was no such thing as an iPad back then, the idea of using it for drawing seemed out of the question. I also struggled quite a bit with digital tools before growing comfortable with them. Still though, I would hope the child version of me would be happy with how far I’ve come. She dreamt of being an artist, and regardless of what type of artist, I didn’t stray from that path.
How do you approach the challenge of staying motivated and inspired in your art practice?
Staying motivated is one of the toughest obstacles I face as an artist. To combat this, I make it a point to surround myself with art that sparks my imagination. I’ll flip through art books, visit art museums, wander galleries, and scroll Pinterest feeds. I think the visual stimulation reminds me of the thing I love doing so much. It reignites an excitement to draw when I feel I have no ideas left. However, I’ve also learned that too much inspiration, especially online, can be overwhelming and have a negative impact. So, I try to be intentional about my exposure and keep my focus on the type of inspiration I gather.
I also make it a point to take breaks. I will often reach moments where I have little to no motivation to draw, especially after spending long stretches focusing on external assignments aside from personal ones. Pushing through these moments rarely helps. At some point, the spark of creativity comes back to me, often spontaneously, and in unexpected moments. I don’t think breaks mean being lazy. I find it absolutely vital to sustain a relationship of doing what you love.
How do you differentiate yourself and your work from other artists in your field?
This is a difficult question to answer because I feel my work is still evolving. There are certain familiar traits that can differentiate my work, though. Color is especially a distinct quality. I often gravitate toward saturated, vibrant hues and bolder palettes, such as fiery reds, lemon yellows, and rich blues. Alongside color, I often like to use graphic elements, whether crisp edges or geometric shapes. My graphic design background lends to this. My inclination for design is something that naturally comes through the work I do. Thematically, my work often centers on female subjects, exploring the nuances of depression and anxiety. The women I depict are often self-representations and extensions of my psyche. I believe how I express those personal emotions is also a differentiating characteristic.
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