Congratulations to Chasity Colón for earning her place a Winner in the Boynes Monthly Art Award [June Edition]!

Who are you?

I am a Nuyorican visual artist from Brooklyn, NYC. During my childhood, I enjoyed creating my own characters and drawing my own comics. It wasn’t until high school that I developed a liking for realism and combined it with my cartoony style.

I think back to these beginnings with such fondness, mainly because my household and family situation was so troublesome and my creativity provided me with an escape from daily strife. It made me realize that I could foster a path toward a more positive way of living.

I developed a strong artistic foundation at Parsons School of Design and graduated with a BFA in Illustration, along with many Fine Arts courses under my belt. During the years after graduation is when I fervidly pursued my own voice as an artist and attained the most growth in doing so.

What inspired you to utilize painting as a medium?

I decided to go with acrylic paint because when I started the piece, I felt that I had let so much time go by without using this medium that was a significant part of my artistic journey throughout high school.

How would you describe your work?

I find enjoyment in creating artwork including objects that grab my attention - those that may spark happiness or even more significant emotions within me. I make realistic, detailed still life paintings and drawings, most of which feature some of my belongings that are representative of my personal story and identity. There is usually an element of melancholy present in my artwork, as that feeling has been present throughout most of my life. However, the subject matter is used to contrast that feeling in that it represents therapeutic self-expression, inspiration, and even self-healing.

The meticulous details convey how I interact with the environment in my daily life. I love analyzing characteristics such as patterns, reflections, textures and wear and tear, including the seemingly trivial details that come together and can help to enrich the narrative in my work. Creating and collecting colorful accessories and meaningful souvenirs has been a significant hobby of mine, and I’ve been motivated to incorporate their beautiful colors, unique forms, and intricacies into my artwork.

Can you discuss the inspiration and thought process behind your winning work?

Although I am not physically depicted, I consider this a self-portrait through symbolism. The scarf here is one (of several items) that I crocheted myself during an extremely difficult and memorable period of my life, during which I had lost almost all motivation to continue making art and wondered if I would ever do so again. Getting into textiles (knitting, crochet, embroidery, beading) was one of the things that brought back hope for me. The hat and earrings are some of many accessories that I've collected and worn over the years, which aided in expressing the person I was evolving into after these life experiences. These little things came together to help pull me just a bit further out of the darkness enveloping me back then.

Can you walk us through the technical steps of creating your winning work?

This painting in particular was an immense learning experience for me, mainly because of my decision to paint on rough canvas. I chose the rougher canvas because I was thinking along the lines of “texture” - I wanted to capture each item’s texture and thought that the rougher canvas would complement this.

Personally, I find that meticulously rendering details with acrylic paint can be very challenging since it dries so quickly. I purchased a wet palette to keep the paint workable for a much longer time, and nothing could have been more helpful. I work in layers to achieve the most detail, usually beginning with midtones and later adding shadows and highlights. Working from bigger shapes to smaller ones helped keep me focused on capturing the overall forms of the objects, before focusing too much on the details (which came last).

By no means was creating this piece as streamlined as I would have wanted it to be, but these were my general steps in moving forward with it.

What do you hope to communicate to an audience with your work?

With my work, I hope to communicate the feeling of preserving warmth and hope through creativity and self-expression, despite the feeling of unshakable melancholy. I hope to convey the feeling that as long as there is at least a small spark of creativity and hope alive in me, I could always recover and blossom anew.

Can you talk about your biggest learning experience during the process of creating your work?

Before starting this painting, I hadn’t realized just how important it would be to take the surface texture of the canvas into consideration. The longer I worked on it, the more it became apparent just how difficult it was to spread the paint on the canvas, especially while working on fine details. Through many long hours and frustration, I searched tirelessly to see this painting through to the end. There were moments when I felt like my efforts were in vain, and I had to step away for long periods of time. I worked on smaller pieces while this painting sat on the easel untouched for weeks. Eventually, I came to a point where I felt refreshed and ready to give it another go.

I learned different ways to keep my acrylics wet and workable for a longer period of time (with a wet palette in addition to acrylic mediums). I also learned to stay cognizant of where I’m adding details and how much of it I’m including throughout different areas of the composition, so that I can create depth and dimension.

As arduous and mentally taxing as this painting was, I am extremely glad that I continued to work on it until completion. This was definitely one of the most teachable experiences I’ve ever had as an emerging artist.

Can you discuss your biggest success since starting your artistic journey?

I would consider my biggest success to be getting through to the other side of university. For years, I had to push school to the side because of my health. During countless points in my medical leave, I was convinced that it would be impossible for me to successfully complete a four-year degree. I could barely get through one semester, so what makes me think that I can return and tough it out through seven more?

Then I did it. I was finally at the other end of what seemed like an insurmountable obstacle. But what is most significant for me is that despite university being a frankly agonizing experience, I continued along my path as an artist. I am now able to make a living putting my art skills to use in a production studio of an artist whom I admire very much. I feel incredibly fortunate, and this is only the beginning of my career. Comparing my present situation to where I was just after graduating in 2018 is like night and day. I could have never imagined I’d be where I am right now, and it has filled me with so much hope for the future.

Can you give us a piece of advice you wish you had known at the start of your career?

I wish I had realized just how much comparing myself to other artists would only work against me. It was very important for me to understand that everyone has a different path in life, and pursuing success should never be considered a race to the finish line. The only comparison I should have been making was between my current self and my past self, to measure my own growth through time.

What projects are you working on currently?

I am currently finishing up some pieces that I started a while ago, as well as brainstorming in my sketchbook to get through a creative block and develop a new body of work. There is one painting of a dragonfly charm bracelet that was given to me some time around 2003 or 2004 by my paternal grandmother (whom I have not seen or spoken to since 2016). One day just over a year ago, I picked up the bracelet and the elastic band suddenly snapped, causing many of the beads to fall to the floor. As upset as I was while picking up the beads, I felt that there was something symbolic about this. Therefore, I decided to make it the subject of a painting.

What is your dream project or piece you hope to accomplish?

During the recent years, I’ve discovered more than ever what it is that I’d like to represent in my artwork. I have always had an interest in realism, more specifically with still life art. However, I have been adamant about adding something extra which could really make my work my own, instead of having the level of technique be the sole attraction. I have strongly questioned why I’ve been so captivated by this kind of art, and what more I would like to do with it.

I long to create a new body of work, with which I can discover special ways to apply my preferred media (such as acrylic, charcoal, pastel, and graphite). I want to discover how much more I could combine my storytelling background with traditional techniques. This may include experimenting with realism, symbolism, and use of color and value to link ideas related to identity, nostalgia, depression, and the passage of time.

As a winner, do you have any advice for artists who want to submit to awards, competitions, residencies, etc.?

One piece of advice that I have found valuable in getting through the fear of rejection is, “if you don’t apply to opportunities, the answer will always be ‘no.’” When searching for open calls, I’d recommend reading the details thoroughly to make sure that your submission is a good fit, in case there is a theme. If the theme is open and the juror is named, I’d suggest viewing their online gallery (if available) to get a sense of their art style and possible taste. Viewing the artwork of previous winners can also be helpful.

Also remember that with the high volume of applicants, rejections are inevitable. It is totally understandable to feel down for a while after receiving a rejection, but please don’t internalize any feelings of self-doubt and inferiority that may follow. Be kind to yourself and keep in mind that rejections do not reflect the quality of your work. Art is very much subjective and you are bound to find jurors who will love and appreciate your work.

Lastly, I like to ask everyone what advice they would give to their fellow artists, what is your advice?

If you find yourself hindered by perfectionism, do your best to release yourself from that pressure and give yourself permission to work freely, experiment, and make mistakes. As an artist who is still learning to let go of perfectionistic tendencies after many years, it is something that leads to suppressed creativity and feelings of discouragement and inadequacy. If you are to compare your artistic progress to that of someone else, do so only with where you were with your progress in the past. This way, you will see just how much growth you’ve achieved along your journey.

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