This next artist interview is an exciting one. She captivates me with her skill, and her subject matter is so much fun. I was ecstatic when she agreed to let me interview her. Please enjoy this Q & A with artist Alexandra Loesser:
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| Alexandra in her studio. |
1. Were you always an art kid, or did you stumble
upon it later in life?
I
was definitely always an art kid. I probably went through a ream of
paper every few days with my drawing. I never proclaimed that I
wanted to be an artist but it’s just what I always did starting
from when I could hold a pencil.
2.
What style of art is your favorite and why?
I
appreciate all styles of art! My favorite would probably have to be
early expressionism and romanticism. I love the line between natural
realism and pure expressionist painting.
3.
What do you use for inspiration, or how do you generate ideas?
The
biggest problem I feel that I’m faced with is being overly inspired
to a point that I have a hard time reigning in my ideas. Most of my
inspiration comes from living things; I love animals and people but
the real ideas come from the relationships between living things. I
like to give form to intangible feelings and energies. I usually
start with something I’m interested in from an aesthetic
perspective. That initial attraction is really a jumping off point
to figure out what the subject means to me and how I should develop
it and add complexity.
4.
Walk us through your creative process from idea to finished project.
My
creative process is not very formulaic. I usually start with a very
general idea of what I want and begin to create different
experimental drawings. These sketches help me narrow down what it is
I want to paint and what I have to say. Once I have a loose
composition, I put it to canvas fairly quickly. I’ve found that if
I do too much preplanning I lose some of the magic. I like to leave
room for the painting to reveal itself to me during the process.
Very rarely does my finished piece look exactly like the original
sketch. I do a little under painting and a little premixing but I’m
very much of an “on-canvas mixer” because I’m finding a new
color every second, and I want the painting to feel fresh and not
static. It is during the actual process of painting that I figure
out what the instinctual decisions I made really mean. A painting
can take months or days; I just have to go with my gut to know when
it’s finished.
5.
What is a typical day in your life?
A
typical day starts with me arriving to the studio as early as I can,
which means about 9:00am. I like to work early in the morning or
late at night if possible. I think the closer you are to the dream
state the better. I have my etsy shop to take care of and emails, so
I work on that for a while and then jump right in to whatever
painting is currently holding my attention the most. I usually have
about five paintings going at a time that I can work on a little
every day unless there is one I can’t tear myself away from. I try
to be in the studio a full eight hours every weekday so I don’t get
slack. It’s important for me to go into the studio everyday even
if I don’t feel like it because you never know what might happen –
the day you don’t go in could have been the day you have an
artistic breakthrough. Being a painter is a pretty solitary job (but
if I’m in a good creative zone I don’t notice the time), so at
the end of the day I come home and try to remember how to be social
again. When I go to sleep I always keep a pen and paper by my bed
because ideas often come at the most inconvenient times.
6.
What do you think draws you to other people's work?
Lots
of things! I think it’s so important to always look at other
artists’ work. It’s inspiring to get a glimpse into someone
else’s mind. You can also learn so much from other work, whether
it’s in technique or style or just the imagery, but I’m most
drawn to emotion in work. When you look at art or create it you want
to feel something, and you know you’ve found a good piece of art
when it lingers with you, when everything isn’t quite spelled out.
I’m always attracted to work with a haunting quality; a little
darkness can be really beautiful.
7.
What are your interests/hobbies?
I’m
a little single-minded when it comes to this…drawing or painting is
what I’m doing most of the time, though I wouldn’t call painting
a hobby because it’s always felt more like a necessity (one that I
enjoy). Lately painting has led me to do some writing. Writing gives
me relief when I have something gnawing away in my mind and an image
is not the right means to give it form. Oh and I do love to watch
weird films. A beautifully done movie is like a painting in itself.
8.
Is this your full time job, or do you have a job out-of-studio?
Painting
is now my full time job; it’s not always easy, but I’m always
grateful.
9.
What is your favorite piece you've ever made and why?
My
favorite piece is one that I made back in college. It’s a
self-portrait that I painted when I became very frustrated with art
school. I was mentally exhausted and my boyfriend at the time
snapped a photo of my face in the midst of tears and desperation. I
immediately went to work on a new painting using that photo as
reference. I completed the large scale self portrait in a single
night. It’s not the best painting I’ve made to this day, but at
that time it was. I think I attached myself to how I was feeling and
tapped into painting the emotion rather than the face. When you get
the chance to “tap in” all the work is done for you.
10.
What advice would you give to an artist just starting out in the
business world?
Unfortunately,
I know very little about the business world but my advice to someone
who wants to profit from what they create would be to always create
from the heart…not from what you think people want. Also, know
your craft, know it up and down. Be proud of your work but never
completely satisfied; satisfaction prevents growth, In my opinion.
And finally, let your work speak for itself and you won’t have to
“sell” it to anyone.
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| Alexandra's Work Space. |
11.
Describe your work space.
I
am constantly cleaning my work space because it looks like a
hurricane after every work day, and I usually have several
paintings/drawings in progress at a time. I paint in natural light
and keep photos of inspiration and other paintings I admire all
around to remind me to continue challenging myself. My studio is
airy and quiet which is a nice balance for my mental space.
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| Alexandra at Work. |
12.
Did you face any setbacks on your path to being an artist?
I
think I face small setbacks every day whether it’s financial or a
near-finished piece I decide to scrap, but they keep me in check.
I’ve always known this wasn’t going to be an easy career path,
but I have a great support system and time in the morning to meditate
and keep myself centered. It also helps to remember that if you are
in the studio working, time is never wasted. Even if I’ve spent a
lot of time on a painting that isn’t going to work, I’ve still
learned something.
13.
What milestones, goals, or achievements are you striving for right
now?
Right
now I’m just focusing on pushing myself to the next level. I’m
hoping to show in some new galleries and explore some new subject
matter. I want to get outside of myself and outside of my city for a
while.
You can also find Alexandra here:
Website: http://www.alexandraloesser.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheArtOfAlexandraLoesser
Instagram: https://instagram.com/alexlaserr/
Etsy: http://www.alexandraloesser.etsy.com
