Artist Interviews
Artist Leah Probst
“What inspired me to start creating art was the need to create images from real world subjects, it was almost like a craving for something sweet but instead it was to draw. As my passion for making art grew, I began to focus on acrylic painting and soft pastel drawing using people and animals as my subjects. I loved the challenge of creating a life-like portrait.” - Leah Probst
Artist Lexi Laine
“I think the tempting thing with a creative block is to stop producing. I think the only way that I personally can work through creative block is by just doing that - working through it. I carry on even if everything I make is hopeless. I have enough faith in myself to know that eventually I’ll come out the other side of the low.” - Lexi Laine
Artist Jason Rafferty
“Keep looking at all sorts of artists and let yourself stew around. Short naps can be good to help reset the mind. Walks. I find the constraint of making works that look ‘cohesive’ from one piece to the next can be very limiting early on in a series, so I let myself bounce around between approaches, even if they seem ridiculously irrelevant. Make lots of little experimental sketches and try to fail on a small scale first. “ - Jason Rafferty
Artist Ira Upin
“I think about the making of art in a number of different ways. There is the element of nature, what you are born with in both the physical and mental aspects of life. Then as you age you need to decide what to do with those abilities to make sense and purpose out of your life. I always try to make sense out of reality, to see things clearly and not shy away from the truth of things, to make sense of things so life works. In a way for me my art is like personal psychotherapy, a way to understand my own contrarian personality.” - Ira Upin
Artist Lisa Hewett
“Stay courageous and keep creating. We live in a world where we are told to be ourselves, yet then in the same breath our authentic self is stomped on, so it takes a lot of courage to keep creating and putting our work out there. It's a world where there is so much division, miscommunication, brokenness, blame and hatred. That is why more than ever our world needs more creators and dreamers, more explorers and visionaries. So stay courageous and keep creating because what you do MATTERS.” - Lisa Hewett
Artist Ryan Jae
“Nothing is more important to me than conveying the hopes, dreams, and struggles of those who the fine art world is not built for. I use my camera to document everything in my environment as it happens, with particular interest in the dark beauty of everyday life.” - Ryan Jae
Artist J. Henry
“Maybe it was the books I looked at as a child. Maybe it was my mom saying “that’s not what a horse looks like” when I drew her a horse. I don’t know, there’s a lot of serotonin released when you experience beauty, and if you fall for the idea that you can create it then it’s easy to become addicted.” - Jocelyn Henry
Artist Lucas León
“Before illustrating, I write, read and research, then I make these reflections to symbols that take place in the composition. The first composition I build it in graphite sketches, and then I build it digitally with references to elements on the web, along with photographs that I make, special for the need of the work. I print that collage composition, I put it on a light table, and I trace the shapes with graphite on a transparent paper, to take the real substance from them, and then I add the imaginary shapes and abstractions.” - Lucas Leon
Artist Angela Alés
“Art needs to have a soul. It can’t just be a technical display. Anyone can learn technique. Originality and creativity is what makes it special.” - Angela Alés
Artist Benji Palus
“Painting or drawing basically anything and everything growing up, I can look back and see the early signs that I would eventually narrow my focus to figurative art, specifically women. I was obsessed with comic books in my teens, fascinated by the artists' ability to tell so much with images. Even then there was an allure to the female heroes over the male. I have always felt a pull toward the feminine in art. There is something so noble, so beautiful, so inspiring to me to be found in women.” - Benji Palus
Artist Heidi Neumann
“I think the most important thing I learned is to find your own style and explore it. I have met many artists with wonderful talent but have not found their own style. Their subjects and techniques vary from painting to painting and it is difficult to identify their style. Other artists have a style but no subject and their work feels a bit “all over the place”. I feel that concentrating on one subject for some time opens up entire new ideas and allows you to really reflect on your work.” - Heidi Neumann
Artist Ivan Milenkovic
“These paintings represent people portraits absorbed into their devices – laptops, tablets and mobile phones – where the only light source is the light of a PC, Smartphone screen or other kind of display tech. The Contemporary subject, theme with a classic painting technique made my paintings in a way very contemporary and socially engaged.” - Ivan Milenkovic
Artist Maureen Denny
“Currently I am inspired to grow and learn and make mistakes. And then find a way to use what I learn to make my art more impactful. The deeper I get into this journey the further I want to take it. As an introvert I am starting to find my voice through my art.” - Maureen Denny
Artist Paul King
“Creative blocks surface sometimes… to get over it… just keep drawing and you’ll get inspired”. - Paul King
Artist Kevin Nichols
“My life has been consumed by feeling I do not belong. I am an athlete who doesn’t respond well to coaching, a student who only excels on my own time, and a loner surrounded by many acquaintances and few friends. Human connection is a struggle for me, even though people who know me argue the counterpoint. Drawing is the only through line to my life that has consistently enhanced my human connection, and that is why I create the art I create today.” - Kevin Nichols
Artist Skye Rudin
“I want to continue to explore both myself and the world through my art, and I believe that the understanding gained from that exploration will improve myself as an artist and my life exponentially.” - Skye Rudin
Artist Nathan Cole
“I want to be an advocate for integrating nature into our societies, building wildlife corridors through our landscapes as hunting and migratory routes for species, and rewilding areas to increase biodiversity and ward off invasive species. I am hoping with my art I can impact our relationship with wildlife, to draw on our empathy to see ourselves in these animals, but also value them for their uniqueness and difference from ourselves. I am trying to show the viewer the beauty I see out there in the world.” -Nathan Cole
Artist 江峰 Jiang Feng
To me, the thing that really differentiates people and artists is their thinking. Hence, reading is a must for me because it helps me to reflect and replenish my interiority. In addition, discussing and reasoning with wise and trustworthy friends is always inspiring and rewarding after some reading and reflecting.” - Jiang Feng
Artist Jesse Lane
“Embrace what makes you unique. Don’t be insecure about it. Artists who leave their mark do so in part because of their uniqueness. They own it. I do coloured pencil. While it would be more mainstream to use oil paint, painting is not what I do. I stick to coloured pencil because that’s what I do best. I want to challenge previous perceptions about my medium and do it in a way that adds intrigue to my work.” - Jesse Lane
Juror - Kamar Thomas
“I am inspired by people and -if you will pardon the comparison - the metaphorical masks they wear depending on the context they are in. I like to see how people adapt their behavior and identity.” - Kamar Thomas