Interview Circa 2007

I think this interview still pertinent. I have since then, fallen in love with digital art as well. I have also, since then, moved back to Maine. I had to paste the interview here below as the link would not work. ART What do you do? How do you define yourself as an artist? Originally I started painting botanicals but have moved towards an abstract style. Primarily I achieved this style by using richer and more vivid colors. My goal is to create images of great emotional intensity based on a careful study of the effects of color and composition. This is to heighten the expressiveness of my work. Instead of trying to reproduce exactly what I have before my eyes, I use color in an abstract way to express myself forcibly. I use colors that are exaggerated, more energetic, more expressive than those I actually ”see” in my subject. I also greatly simplify the shapes and forms of the objects I am painting – bringing out only what is essential, integral to my subject. Additionally, I have begun to experiment with how pigments interact with each other, begun to use various medias together – sometimes in unconventional ways. More and more I have started paying attention to the physical qualities of the paint itself, its texture, color and shape Your biography in four lines. Lisa was born in Maine in 1965, growing up in one of the most turbulent times in the nation's history. These early days, surrounded by so many people seeking to change the world influenced her deeply; even the music in that era filled her with a sense of what the world could be and the feeling that anything could be possible. After graduating from college she moved to Baltimore, MD where she found work as an artist's model and also a job at a local gallery. Her grandfather being an artist she had always been interested in art. But this closer contact with the art field sparked a desire to become an artist herself. Do you upload your work to the web? If so, where could we see it? http://www.artistlp.com/ http://www.artistlp.blogspot.com/ http://www.artistlp.etsy.com How is an idea born? For you, what is inspiration? Natural beauty inspires me. I find it everywhere. You don't have to travel the world to find it. Lately, the beauty in withering flowers inspires me. What role does technology play in your creative process? I use a digital camera to take my own reference photos. I upload these to my computer where I may crop or invert them. What is art? One of the roles of an artist is to create something that, when viewed by an observer, evokes unconscious feelings and emotions. Sometimes, it can polarize, sometimes unite, but it should stir something in the viewer. Why do so many artists and creators have such volatile personalities? I think that is a stereotype. More and more I see fellow artists as older, retired people who have always wanted to pursue art but had to support a family first. Must an artist reinvent him/herself everyday? An artist should spend a lifetime learning and experimenting (not necessarily in that order). A good artist evolves, incorporates new techniques; sometimes a change of artistic style develops. Does it pain you to let go of a piece you have sold? Yes. I struggle to do it. That is one of the reasons I started selling prints. Do you personally collect any items? Books, art, natural objects such as: fossils, shells, rocks and minerals, etc. Which websites do you frequently visit? www.wetcanvas.com, www.dickblick.com What advice would you give to those just beginning? Persistence is the key. Don't let a failure throw you. Treat it as a valuable learning experience. Grab on to whatever it was that worked. Try not to make the same mistake. Work at it. 995 visits http://www.whohub.com/artistlp Whohub [artistlp] Lisa Purcell Ouachita Mountains © Lisa Purcell Web address for this interview:http://www.whohub.com/artistlp