Interview with Belle Fusion
Therese Lydia Joseph
http://www.therese-joseph.com/
1. Therese, when did you realize that being an Artist was going to be your path?
2. What
inspires you or stimulates your thought?
Every day I stumble
upon the hidden beauty of ordinary, often unnoticed and disregarded subjects
including my fellow humans. I often get caught up in the unexpected wonder of a
subject’s shape or form, colour or pattern, disposition or mood. My purpose as an
artist is to grab a hold of the intense feeling this provokes in me and capture
it on canvas. By approaching the canvas with that same intensity and
spontaneity, I am able to be creative seemingly without limits. Using acrylics
and mixed media allows me to express my love of bright colours, deep texture
and detail. Ultimately I seek harmony between “strength and fragility” and
“vibrancy and serenity”. When I feel the same awareness of wonder stirring in
me as when I first came upon the hidden beauty of the subject - I know the
painting is done and art is created.
3. What's your average day
like?
I
start with answering emails and catching up with social media. Around 10 am I
head down to my studio and paint, collage, prepare canvases, sketch or draw until
3 pm. Of
course I have a lunch break where I reflect on my work and see if I want to
make any changes. Often I work on multiple paintings at the same time. I take
photographs during the process and also of the finished work. If time permits I
might write a blog post or add my new work to my website. In the evening, I
enjoy cooking dinner and spending time with my family.
4. Why
do you think it’s integral to work as an artist?
It is
essential for me to create and invent in
order to feel whole. The need to process and articulate my thoughts, feelings,
and experiences is satisfied through artistic expression. For me, art is a
method of communication - a way to interact with the world I live in. Painting
is a visual language - a visual song and dance. Art is essential for mankind.
It provokes diversity of thought, makes the viewer challenge their reality,
wonder what if, and evokes all sorts of
emotions while stimulating the senses. Art can heal, bring people together and
open up new possibilities.
5. What kinds of stories do you like the most?
Why?
In my
artwork I like to engage the viewer in a story about a moment in life. Although these moments might be sad,
tough, unfair or undesirable, I focus on that flicker of hope, that unseen
beauty and strength, an honest thought, a genuine mood or a daring dream that
hides inside my subjects.
I am intrigued when
I find awesomeness in something or someone ordinary. I feel great satisfaction
when I discover “the Beauty in the Beast”.
6. How has your practice
changed over time?
During
my first years as an artist, I primarily created abstract paintings. My work
had an organic feel to it as opposed to a graphic feel. I used acrylic paint,
medium, impasto and textiles in my paintings to create texture.Later
on the abstract organic shapes were replaced with shapes of branches and trees.
At that time I was participating in a weekly life drawing session and my trees
morphed into the sensual shapes of semi-abstract female nudes. My nudes became
more and more realistic as time went on. After receiving a grant, I embarked on
a project called “Faces of the North Shore”. As a series of portraits, the project represented the diverse cultures
of the North Shore. I used acrylic paint and collages of the North Shore Newspaper. Taking the idea of print collages to the next
level, I moved to create large
figurative works with themed collage from magazines - now part of my
“Figure-It” collection. These can be viewed on my website.
7.
Who’s your favourite Artist? How does this Artist inspire or mentor you?
I have
a few favorite figurative artists I admire. Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Karl Schmidt and
Alexej von Jawlensky – German Expressionists. I am fascinated by their bold brushstroke,
their daring use of colour and their somewhat simplistic shapes and forms of
the human figure, portraits and clothing.
8. In today's climate, there are many emerging artists looking for the
kind of direction and passion that you, as a successful artist, clearly have,
what advice can you give to those who are also looking for direction and a path?
First
and foremost, a painter must paint, paint, paint! You must spend time in the
studio every day. Second, take criticism constructively rather than personally.
Go to a professional artist to have your work assessed and critiqued. Know that
you will not be able to please everyone with your art. Remember why you paint.
Third, join some sort of a painters group or an artist’s guild. Feeling
connected to other artists is a great source of strength and support especially
at the beginning of your journey. Guilds and clubs will help you to get your
art in group shows which are excellent as first exposure.
9. In
your opinion, what role does 'Artist' play nowadays?
The
role of an artist is first and foremost to make art, but showing and sharing
are very important as well. Artists should share their inventions and
creations, their stories, views and ideas with the community. It is healthy,
visually and emotionally stimulating, and contributes to the wellbeing of a
community.
10. What is your 5 year goal?
In the
near future I plan to produce a new series of figurative abstract work. It is
my goal to exhibit across Canada on a regular basis and establish a significant
online representation. As it is every artist’s desire, I plan to sell more art
each year.
Thank you, Therese, for sharing your experience with us.
Therese is also very involved in community connections and has participated in many kids art education as well. Check out her blog for more info!
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