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F.A.Q.
(frequently asked questions). To submit a question
for the F.A.Q., contact
us!
1.) How long does it
take you to finish a painting?
It can take me anywhere
from two to forty-eight hours or longer to finish
a painting, depending on the amount of detail
I decide to include. Also keep in mind that I
work part-time, go to college full time, and have
a house to keep clean as well as a cat, a boyfriend,
and assorted family members. I rarely go out for
social occassions but I am still left with only
a couple of solid working hours in the evenings,
and maybe four to six hours on Saturday and Sunday.
So a painting that took four hours to paint in
total could actually take weeks to complete.
2.) What do you use to
make your art?
The media I use varies from
painting to painting. Right now I favor watercolors.
I also paint digitally, work in colored pencil,
markers, pastels, and acrylics. I recommend Prismacolor,
Grumbacher, Koh-i-noor, and Strathmore- but I
like to keep an open mind and watch for handmade
products as well. For digital work I use a Dell
Inspiron 8500, Adobe Photoshop CS, and a Wacom
Intuos2 4x5 tablet.
3.) Where do you get
your ideas?
I hate to say this just
because I've heard it so many times before- but
I get my ideas from everywhere. I am always on
the lookout for interesting people, snatches of
conversations, colorful metaphors, creative fashion
statements, and unusual plants and animals. It
helps that I live in South Florida, a place rich
with many different cultures and so many beautiful
trees and flowers and animals. The only thing
I miss out on is Winter- in fact I have always
lived in Florida so I've never lived through
a real Winter. Florida winters are beautiful and
balmy, so I can't complain- but if you notice
a lack of pictures containing ice and snow,
you'll know why!
I also pull a lot of inspiration
from TV, movies, video games, and books. I am
an avid reader and love (of course) all things
fantasy and science-fiction. I also love all kinds
of myths, legends, and folk lore, as well as actual
history. Other artists inspire me as well, from
musicians to photgraphers to other painters.
4.) How did you learn
to paint and draw?
I am mostly self taught,
but I have some formal training from high school
and college as well. I have been drawing my whole
life- my grandmother kept my first drawing from
when I was two years old. I draw a little every
day because I am in constant need of improvement, and also I just love doing it.
I may never be happy with my skill level but I
never give up. I don't think college or fancy
training makes someone a good artist. It all comes
from inside you- how hard you work, how critical
you are of your own limitations, and how willing
you are to improve. How learn what you need to learn is inconsequetional.
5.) What are "Maiko"
that I've seen in your gallery?
Maiko are apprentice Geisha-
Japanese women trained in the arts of conversation,
music, dance, and more. I began a fascination
with Geisha when I read a book called "Memoirs
of a Geisha". Later I found out that book
contains a lot of false information and is not
an accurate source on the true
life of a Geisha. I found ImmortalGeisha.com
when doing a search on images of Geisha to research
before painting them. It is probably the best
and most accurate source of information on Geisha
and Maiko culture and history. I highly recommend
it for anyone who wants to learn about these fascinating
women. I have painted Maiko so far because I love
their brightly colored kimonos and dramatic makeup.
A Geisha's kimono is a little more simple and
their makeup is more natural. They are just as
a beautiful and I plan to paint them in the future
as well.
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