Interviewing Artists, Pt. 1: What Do You Keep In Mind While Creating?

Get excited! This is the first blog in our newest series where we share some insights from our gallery’s artists. We sat down with five of the artists (Susie Ranager, Patt Odom, Gail Cheney, Vanda McCormick, and Charlie Taylor) to ask them all about art and gather their answers. In this blog, we are sharing their answers from the question “What do you keep in mind when creating art?”

 

Susie Ranager - Painter: “I’m living in the present. I’m not thinking about anything particular. I was telling Charlie that I listen to a lot of audiobooks, so when I’m painting or creating, I like to have somebody read me a story.

 

When I’m painting or whatever I’m doing, I have this style light going in my head saying more green, try this green, not that green didn’t work, let’s put this over here. I’m constantly making judgement calls when I’m painting.”

 

Patt Odom - Painter: “When I get an idea, the first thing I do is to make marks on the canvas. And I'm extremely emotional with my work. I do listen to music while I'm painting, but that’s because when your brain is listening to something, your mind is free to just experiment and explore and use your emotions. That’s the way I get started. I was taught very traditionally, and I hate being a traditional artist. So anything I can do to go out on a limb that I’m not familiar with, it makes me excited.”

 

Gail Cheney - Potter and Painter: “Art is something that really makes me happy, and I’ve evolved into doing more pottery than painting. I’m like Susie, I like something in the background and I like to put on something that is happy and I don’t have to think about. I can watch for a little while and do something else, and then come back and I know what the ending is going to be anyways - just like Hallmark movies. I do like something like that unless it’s outside, then it’s outside time.

 

What I keep in mind is two things: One is that I’ve got some things that have got to be good sellers. It’s not a bad thing as long as I'm having fun doing it. I don’t mind doing that. Some of it is just a re-creation of pottery pieces I've done with a little bit of a different twist because each one has a different design. The other thing I like to think of are variations of whatever I'm doing. I just recently took what was just a wine juice and I've added something to it, so it’s a cappuccino cup now. With the tea mugs, I make saucer lids now because I'm sitting around drinking and thinking people need a place to put their tea mugs. So sometimes, it’s just creating something completely different that pops in my head.”

 

Vanda McCormick - Mixed Media Artist: “As an only child, I like quiet when I'm working. I like to be thinking about what I’m painting. Not necessarily having anything in mind, but just being able to concentrate on what I’m doing.”

 

Charlie Taylor - Photographer: “When I start to process my images, I always think of the beautiful blonde I saw on the beach and think I should be photographing her. What I do really is I get up to my studio, and I turn on music, either classical, new age, or smooth jazz. Nothing vocal. It frees my mind up to focus on what I really need to do. I think about when I'm on the field the quote by Camille Pissarro that says ‘Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing.’ You can go to a lot of places and people will just pass by and not see it, but if you focus on that area, you can find things. I do that a lot.”

 

No matter how different their thoughts are from one another, they all have one thing in common, their pieces are truly amazing! What do you keep in mind while you’re creating? Maybe it’s nothing or maybe you’re so engrossed in your work that you’re only focused on what’s right in front of you. We hope this blog gives you a little insight into what goes through an artist’s brain while they’re working!