Artist Q&A: Rachel English

Where are you from?

Austin, TX

How did you get your start as an artist?

Art has always run through my veins, but it didn’t become a career path for me until midway through undergraduate school. I’d pull all-nighters painting instead of studying for psychology exams as I should have been doing, so it was a no-brainer switching majors to studio art. After graduating, I took on commissioned work while applying to calls and grants left and right until I got my first solo exhibition about a year and a half later. 

What are your favorite sources of inspiration?

The skies! Weather, atmospheric phenomena, infinite space, thinking of the earth as a pale blue dot swirling with activity amid a mysterious, wonderful universe. Being curious about why we’re here, why we get to be here at all.

What is something that is important to you?

My daughter.

Something others might not know about you?

I’m trained in the field of forensic art to conduct cognitive interviews with witnesses and create composite sketches from their descriptions, which can help law enforcement identify unknown individuals.

Want more of Rachel? Follow her on Instagram, check out her website, and view her available works at Liz’s gallery!

In case you missed it, I am collaborating with my friend Liz Lidgett on a series of artist features! Check out our digital art show, save 10% off your purchase with code GRACE through 8/11. And all month long, I will be profiling some of my favorite artists here on the blog.

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Artist Q&A: Andrea Ferrigno

Where are you from?

I am originally from Des Moines, IA. Currently, my primary home is in Galesburg, IL, and I also live and work part-time in Paris.

How did you get your start as an artist?

Creating, working with my hands has always been a part of who I am. After high school, I decided to pursue art seriously, attending the Kansas City Art Institute, then onto the University of Iowa for my MFA.

What are your favorite sources of inspiration?

I have a vast array of interests and sources of inspiration; at the core is my love of nature, music, and architecture. I am also greatly influenced by art history.

What is something that is important to you?

Thinking critically, feeling deeply, and continuously pushing myself outside my comfort zone. This applies to my approach to my art and life in general.

Something others might not know about you?

I was the head of restoration and conservation of a 50ft fin whale skeleton which is now on display at Knox College where I teach.

Want more of Andrea? Follow her on Instagram view her available works at Liz’s gallery!

In case you missed it, I am collaborating with my friend Liz Lidgett on a series of artist features! Check out our digital art show, save 10% off your purchase with code GRACE through 8/11. And all month long, I will be profiling some of my favorite artists here on the blog.

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Where are you from?

I’m half Japanese and spent most of my life growing up in the California Bay Area, and have lived in Tokyo, New York, and Boston too! I am currently living and working between San Francisco and London, UK. 

How did you get your start as an artist?

 I have been making art for as long as I can remember. When I was around 4, my parents would take me to the children’s museum in Boston, where kids were allowed to paint on the walls. We lived nearby and we would go all the time. I absolutely loved that place. 

What are your favorite sources of inspiration?

I am super inspired by other creative arenas like fashion, architecture, typography, interior design, even how a beautiful plate of food is presented at a thoughtfully designed restaurant…you name it. I also am inspired by novelty and newness, so travel is a key inspiration for me. My favorite way to spend a day is exploring a new neighborhood or city through its most beautiful architecture, eateries, galleries, and bookstores. I’m a sucker for gorgeous coffee table books.

What is something that is important to you?

Liberty and agency are so important to me. Having not only the freedom but also the power to choose how to spend your time and how to live your life, I think, is the greatest gift.

Something others might not know about you?

I am currently exploring aspects of my art practice that feel like new territory. I’ll always be a painter, but I am envisioning more sculpture and installation work in the future. The work mines deeply into themes of ancestral memory and how working with material can connect us across generations. It feels vulnerable to be in a space of being a complete newbie again, but I know this is the path of a growing artist. I can’t wait to share when I feel ready! 

Want more of Makiko? Follow her on Instagram, check out her website, and view her available works at Liz’s gallery!

In case you missed it, I am collaborating with my friend Liz Lidgett on a series of artist features! Check out our digital art show, save 10% off your purchase with code GRACE through 8/11. And all month long, I will be profiling some of my favorite artists here on the blog.

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Artist Q&A: Michelle Armas

Where are you from?

I’ve lived in Atlanta so long I think I’m gonna go ahead and say I’m from Atlanta. Even though no one‘s from Atlanta. I’ll be the first, I volunteer. I love being southern and I love living in the south. I’m definitely inspired by my surroundings in the form of beautiful bright plants and hot sun and friendly faces. The south is pretty great!

How did you get your start as an artist?

I have been making art and painting for myself since I was a child. After graduating with a masters of graphic design and branding I started painting at night after coming home from a grueling and dissatisfying job. At the time it was the advent of blogging and I started to sell my work online through my blog and an Etsy shop. How lucky am I?!

What are your favorite sources of inspiration?

My favorite sources of inspiration are definitely natural as in plants, flowers, the rhythms of the earth and the beauty of space. I love photographs of nebulas and stars and planets. Nothing could be more visually inspiring than nature, as far as physical inspiration having time to be unconnected from our society is very healing and inspiring as well. Time to disconnect from the expectations and the pressures of regular life and instead be fully immersed in the sensual pleasures of quiet and being near water and spending time cooking and eating with my loved ones.

What is something that is important to you?

My friendships are very important to me. I love the people in my life and I love taking the time and energy to connect with them and experience life with them.

Something others might not know about you?

Gosh I feel like I’m such an open book there isn’t anything that I don’t talk about. I think sometimes people may not realize I am quite introverted and a highly sensitive person. That means that my nervous system is very sensitive and I can become overstimulated about 50 million thousand times a day. I need to be alone in a quiet space to recharge my energy even though I love people

Want more Michelle Armas? Follow along on Instagram, check out her website (and print shop), and peruse her available works at Liz’s Gallery!

In case you missed it, I am collaborating with my friend Liz Lidgett on a series of artist features! Check out our digital art show, save 10% off your purchase with code GRACE through 8/11. And all month long, I will be profiling some of my favorite artists here on the blog.

The post Artist Q&A: Michelle Armas. appeared first on The Stripe.

Artist Q&A: Fares Micue

Where are you from?

I was born and raised in Spain, specifically in the Canary Islands.

How did you get your start as an artist?

I have always loved art, especially movies and storytelling, and have always been into writing but it wasn’t until 2009 that I picked up the hobby of photography and through constant practice, I ended up where I am today.

What are your favorite sources of inspiration?

I find inspiration in many things but when I feel a bit drained I always turn to relaxing music, movies, or walks in nature to revive my ideas.

What is something that is important to you?

My well-being, being calm, relaxed, and, balanced are very important for me as it has a huge impact on my personal and professional life

Something others might not know about you?

Maybe that, despite doing self-portraits I am quite an introverted and shy person, although I really enjoy sharing with others about the things I am passionate about, like photography and self-discovery, therefore I would say I am exactly like my art, shy (cause I hardly show my face) but with a message that I am committed to putting out there for everyone who needs it, to hear and see.

Want more of Fares? Follow on Instagram, or view her available works at Liz’s gallery.

In case you missed it, I am collaborating with my friend Liz Lidgett on a series of artist features! Check out our digital art show, save 10% off your purchase with code GRACE through 8/11. And all month long, I will be profiling some of my favorite artists here on the blog.

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Two of my greatest loves are art and books, so it makes sense that I have acquired quite a collection of art books! While I am grateful for the education I have (I was a finance major with a communications minor) there will always be a part of me that wishes I studied art history. For that reason, I spend hours reading my art books. My coffee table and bookshelves are always piled high. From fine arts to the history of art, contemporary art, and more, I devour them all. Art books are a wonderful source for both inspiration and education; there are so many great ones. Today I wanted to share a roundup of personal favorites. My taste tends toward modern art and photography; most of these artists are from the 20th century!

PS – if you enjoy this post, you might enjoy this list of the most stylish coffee table books.

My Favorite Art Books

de kooning, a retrospective

De Kooning is one of my all time favorite artists and this (giant) book is a retrospective of his work over seven decades, from his early academic works in Holland through his more abstract paintings of the late 1980s. I’m currently reading his biography and as I read it I love alternating back to this book to look at his artwork.

Prime, Art’s Next Generation

I did a longer review of this book here but oooh, I absolutely love this book. It’s a newer release from Phaidon and I love that it focuses on younger artists (107 to be exact), none born before 1980. It is a who is who of the next big superstars in art.

Reading Andy Warhol

This is one of my favorites because Andy Warhol was a man of so many talents. Did you know that he designed covers for large publishing companies? Hea lso created thematic booklets. This book is the first substantial presentation of his innovations in printed books.

Hilma af Klint Paintings for the Future

Hilma af Klint fascinates me. (As an aside, I highly recommend watching the documentary Beyond the Visible). What I find so interesting is that when she died in 1944, she felt that the world wasn’t ready for her art, so she stipulated that it couldn’t be shown for another 20 years. Because her work had been kept hidden, we didn’t realize that it actually predates artists like Kandinsky, who’d been considered to be the trailblazers of modernist abstraction.

Artifacts Fascinating Facts about Art, Artists, and the Art World

This is one of my favorite books to give as a gift as it is absolutely fascinating… packed with little fun facts, tidbits, and conversation starters. It’s a fun little book and it’s smart, too. Even the most seasoned art buff will learn something new from it.

Great women artists

This is the most extensive fully illustrated book of women artists ever to be published. It features more than 400 artists from over 50 countries, over five centuries. As someone who makes an effort to prioritize female artists in my own collection, I loved this, and I love seeing so many previously overlooked female artists gaining the recognition they deserve today.

Andy Warhol, From A to B and Back again

I was lucky enough to get to see the Warhol exhibit at The Whitney in New York several years ago and I got this book when I went to that. This is the first book to examine his entire work. Looking at his commercial illustrations of the 1950s all the way through his paintings of the 1980s.

Damien hirst Cherry Blossoms

I try not to judge books by their cover but man, this is a very pretty book – I love the green fabric cover. I have been mesmerized by Damien Hirst’s Cherry Blossom paintings (I was lucky enough to snag a signed print when he did a release with HENI a couple years ago) and I love being able to page through this book, see them all together, and understand a bit more behind the paintings (which Hirst describes as “garish and messy and fragile”).

Painting Beyond Pollock

This is part art book, part history book. Morgan Falconer (an art historian and critic) explores how and why painting has surged in popularity since Jackson Pollcok and the other abstract expressionists of the 1940s-early 50s.

Cy Twombly: Making past present

Cy Twombly is another one of my favorite artists. This contains reproductions of over 50 of his paintings, drawings, and sculptures… alongside classic works of art. It explores the relationship of his art with works of the past.

In Shadows I Boogie: Harland Miller

One of my good friends introduced me to British artist Harland Miller’s clever book-inspired canvases and I became an instant fan. He is just so clever, and this book covers nearly 20 years of his paintings (alongside essays by eminent art writers).

Jean-Michel Basquiat. 40th Ed.

Basquiat is another favorite (and I love the Taschen 40 series). It’s tragic to think he only lived to 27 years old; and crazy to think of how much he accomplished in so little time. His name is now synonymous with the 80s. He was one of the first street artists (think of everyone he’s inspired today). I love the chapter format – it’s like reading a hybrid biography/coffee table blook.

Photography

Peter Lindbergh On Fashion Photography

This is one of my favorite, most glamorous fashion photography books. It gathers over 300 photographs from Lindbergh’s 40 year career as a fashion photographer. He shot all the big super models along with some of the biggest names in Hollywood. Any time I want to feel inspired (or a bit more glamorous), I find myself paging through this book for inspiration.

Slim Aarons Style

Slim Aarons is one of my favorite photographers. I find his works (and his books!) to be wonderfully transportive, taking us back to an era of glitz and glamour… or as he said, “attractive people who were doing attractive things in attractive places.” While he didn’t technically photograph fashion (he’s even said, “I didn’t do fashion. I did the people in their clothes that became the fashion”), the people became the fashion, making this book an amazing source of inspiration from yesterday’s style icons.

Richard Avedon PHotographs 1946 – 2004

Richard Avedon is one of my favorite fashion photographers as his specialty was capturing movement in photos of fashion, theater, and dance. His work is truly brilliant. This book is the first major retrospective of his work since his death in 2004. It’s an absolutely beautiful catalogue of his work, including 125 reproductions of his greatest works. and some of his most famous portraits.

Stoppers: Photographs from my life at vogue

Phyllis Posnick has become synonymous with Vogue (working as the magazine’s Executive Fashion Editor from 1988 – 2018), particularly for her editorial fashion and beauty editorials. Her work can be shocking at times but that’s what works – I love her eye! The book features an incredible assortment of imagery from legendary photographers (along with Posnick’s personal memories of working at Vogue, plus a forward by Anna Wintour.

Arthur Elgort: The big picture

This is Elgort’s first comprehensive book, spanning his 50 year career. Elgort was influenced by a lifelong love of music and dance, which is reflected in his work. His work was in all of our favorite magazines, but he also shot incredible campaigns for the likes of Chanel, Valentino, and Yves Saint Laurent.

Wonderland by Annie Leibovitz

This is another gorgeous book of fashion photographs. Anna Wintour has called her “America’s greatest living photographic portraitist,” which says everything you need to know. This book contains 350 beautiful images (many, unpublished before this) of everyone from Cate Blanchett and Lady Gaga to Kate Moss and Nancy Pelosi.

Disclosure: If you buy something through my links, I may earn an affiliate commission, at no cost to you. I only feature things I truly love here. Thanks for your support.

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Artist Q&A: Katie Craig

Where are you from?

I’m a born and raised Californian – I was born and raised in Merced, A town in the Central Valley of CA – I moved to Dallas after college and it stuck – I’ve been there ever since!

How did you get your start as an artist?

 I have been creating, making, painting since a young age and I’ve been so lucky to have very supportive  parents and teachers along the way. After college I was working at a small architect firm in admin/marketing but I still had more of a creative itch and began painting at home. My then boyfriend (now husband) was also incredibly supportive – when our first child arrived we decided I would pursue art full time from home – it’s been a dream. 

What are your favorite sources of inspiration?

Honestly, RAD color combinations from interior design, nature, my surroundings. I’m very drawn to that vibration of two colors colliding. It’s simply magic to my eyes. 

What is something that is important to you?

JOY and happiness – life if full of plenty of things to bring us down and be dismayed about (cough cough Supreme Court). I make it a point to demonstrate to my children that even through hard times and feelings we can still take the time to be thankful, dance to a favorite song, stare at your favorite piece of art SIMPLY because it makes you smile. That is enough.

Something others might not know about you?

I’m six feet tall and LOVE it.

If you’d like more of Katie, check out her website, follow along on Instagram, or peruse her available works at Liz’s gallery.

In case you missed it, I am collaborating with my friend Liz Lidgett on a series of artist features! Check out our digital art show, save 10% off your purchase with code GRACE through 8/11. And all month long, I will be profiling some of my favorite artists here on the blog.

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Artist Q&A: Allison James

Where are you from?

Perry, GA. I lived in Atlanta for 5 years and decided to move back to my hometown almost 2 years ago for a slower pace and better quality of life. I haven’t missed the city once!

How did you get your start as an artist?

I was always encouraged to explore my creativity as a child and have been a self-proclaimed artist my entire life. I earned my BFA in Painting, Drawing and Printmaking almost a decade ago and have been painting professionally over the last five years.

What are your favorite sources of inspiration?

People — everything from the clothes they are wearing, the way they carry themselves, the conversations they are having with one another… all the way to the memories, burdens and triumphs we carry with us. People are fascinating and I try to focus on creating work that evokes the energy of a blip in time that the viewer can form their own feeling, emotion and conversations around. This is when the circle of my work becomes complete.

What is something that is important to you?

Quiet time. I need time by myself (usually outside, weather permitting) in order to sift through my next big idea. Or sometimes this time is to have the headspace to connect back to myself. There’s a lot of information out there and it’s easy to forget who we really are down to our core. It’s easy to get lost in the noise and I’m a better person when I can do this for myself. 

Something others might not know about you?

I started running in early 2022 to have something to focus my attention on besides fixating on my work. It’s helped me get out of the studio, challenge my body and see real growth in a new way. Training is no joke, especially when races are on the calendar!

Want more of Allison? Check out her website, follow on Instagram, or view her available works at Liz’s gallery.

And in case you missed it, I am collaborating with my friend Liz Lidgett on a series of artist features! Check out our digital art show, save 10% off your purchase with code GRACE through 8/11. And all month long, I will be profiling some of my favorite artists here on the blog.

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I am so excited to collaborate with Liz Lidgett for a second year in a row. We did this last year (please: read her Q&A from last year… it’s really comprehensive and I still refer to it as it is so helpful!!!!)

This year, she is back on the blog for a guest post, and I am back on HER site for a guest curation, putting together my second ever “digital show.” Liz is one of my favorite resources for any and all things art. She has the most incredible gallery in Des Moines (I say incredible based on her online presence, she and I have been talking about me going out to visit her soon – it needs to happen!) and has some of the best, most informative content about art in her instagram highlights. I love her mission of “art for everyone,” and I love her inclusive approach (she places a priority of highlighting female artists as well as artists of color).

For today’s post, Liz is talking about three big things: gallery walls (and getting them to look cohesive!), whether or not your art has to match/how to get it to all look good together, and (this may have been my question, ha ha) what to do when you feel like you are starting to run out of wall space! On top of that, also for the second year in a row, Liz let me curate a little collection on her site of some of my favorite pieces from her gallery. The “show” will be live for one month (ending August 11th), and if you see something you have been eyeing, the code GRACE will get you 10% off any of the pieces I chose.

3 Really Common Art Questions

Q. I have large walls and love a gallery wall. How do I make sure it doesn’t look too busy?

Liz: I love a gallery wall! They go in and out of “trendiness” level but I think they are classic and will stay in style forever. The great thing about a gallery wall is that you can continue to add pieces as you buy and depending on your budget, it’s a good way to afford smaller original artwork rather than one more expensive large piece. (That’s generalizing, of course, there are expensive smaller pieces too but often times price and size are correlated.)

There are a few “rules” that I think are worth thinking about when you are creating your own gallery wall. Try to give pieces some room to breathe. I like to keep a consistent 3 inches in between all pieces. Also, I try to keep the style of frame to 2-3 types of frames to keep your eye moving and keeping the look clean. Gallery walls gone wrong feel very busy and crunched so giving consistent style of frame and some space around each one will help with that.

Sometimes, as in the photo above, their is no frame at all but it feels consistent because we stuck to a color palette that helps the viewer’s eye travel to each piece. 

Also think about using items like a license plate, or a piece of sculpture or felt banner that will help give a gallery wall some texture and dimension. It adds just the right amount of interest without taking the entire spotlight. Mix items that have sentimental value (concert tickets, letters, polaroids with friends) with original art and you’ll create a wall of art that will mean something to you and make you smile.

Q: Does your art have to “match”?

Liz: No! That’s the short answer but let me give you a much longer answer than that too. In my home, I have work by over 40 artists (work perks/hazards of owning a gallery) and I tend to gravitate to the same colors and tones so there is a thread that seems to go through the work in each room. For example, in my dining room, I have a garden mural wallpaper and so I have hung artwork that features a snake sculpture by Paige Barnes Dorsey, a bunny by Hunt Slonem and a floral work by Jenna Brownlee. I thought it would be fun to have work that all felt like subjects that belonged in a garden. None of them match but they do have a theme.

I have found though that if you buy artwork that you truly love, it does not need to match, but it “goes together” because YOU are the common denominator. People often tend to gravitate towards similar styles of artwork because your sense of style stays consistent. So you can see in my living room below there are several different styles but it’s an eclectic style that works well together. 

I like to think that artwork has “conversations” together when they’re in the same room. My goal is to always put artwork together that brings out the best in each other. Think of artwork look good friends– they don’t need to be the same but there should be some commonality somewhere to get off on the right foot. Then you’ll find that your differences are what bring out the best in each other. Did that metaphor make sense? It did in my mind…

Q: I’m running out of wall space! Talk to me about thinking outside of the box. 

Liz: Okay– I LOVE hanging artwork in unexpected places. I too have this problem and I’ve been having a lot of fun thinking of interesting places to hang artwork around my home. If the canvas or frame is thick enough think of places on table tops or bookshelves where the work can rest. I’ve also found a really great table top easel from Ballard Designs where I have placed artwork recently and I love it. 

I’ve also recently been playing with hanging art ON the bookshelf by putting a couple of small tack nails. So they easily could be filled with wood putty later if I want to move the piece. 

I’ve even also recently hung a piece in front of a couple of windows. Honestly, I think it’s fun to learn the design rules so you know how to break them. My only caveat is that is make sure wherever you hang your artwork on a wall, window, bookshelf, etc. it’s going to be a place where it won’t be damaged. I think anything surface on the table as long as the area is not a high traffic area or is in intense direct sunlight.

Have fun with your art! Buy what you love! Know that you can live with original artwork even if you don’t want to live in a museum. Art is meant to be lived with and enjoyed so do it on your terms and don’t worry about what others are doing.

A giant to thank you Liz! Check out our little show right this way, follow her on instagram here, and follow her gallery here!

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Phaidon’s brand new book PRIME was an instant favorite. I tend to rotate my art books between my shelves and coffee table so that I always have something different to look at, but I can’t seem to bear to put this one back on the shelf. The book highlights 107 artists born since 1980… the most innovative and interesting contemporary artists. It’s sort of a who’s who and what’s next… tomorrow’s superstars, and the artists that we should all be getting to know. It’s also just a beautiful book: the neon color + clear vinyl casing make it a real eye catcher; you will want to keep it at the top of your book pile to show it off! You can order a copy here on Amazon!

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