Layers Upon Layers: Mixed Media Art

Artist Profile: Christy Sobolewski

by Cyndi on September 11th, 2008

Artist: Christy Sobolewski (Average American Girl)
Location: Fort Myers, FL, USA

Websites:
Graphic This (digital art only),
Average American Girl (all other art & personal)

Christy, how do you describe your work?
I do not know how to describe my work other than to say it is usually very graphic in format. I am very drawn to shapes and color and texture. I do not incorporate a lot of text or imagery such as people, faces, that type of thing.

What is your creative process like?
My creative process starts with a project or more specifically a deadline. Either I have a deadline to meet, a project I want to do or have seen something that has sparked that process. Rarely do I just sit down without something in mind. The moment I have committed to creating something my subconscious begins to work. This happens the same as it does when I am programming a website or laying out a website design.

Most of the pieces are in order in my head before I sit down to create. I generally do not create line drawings or write out what I am going to make. When I have tried to do that in the past the results were generally not good. Once I sit down at my work table I am in the zone. Sometimes I may have a theme, a color, a texture, a piece of tissue paper that I want to include… something for the start.

From there it is a combination of pulling out various items to get an idea of how they will look, work with (or not) what I have in mind. Many times I do not use the initial item that I started with. The project just grows in a very organic way as I play with different possibilities. The other thing that really influences the creative process for me is music. I always have music playing and usually loudly.

What kind of training did you have which helped you achieve your current level of artistry?
As a web developer I would say all of my web training has influenced my art. Along with that is the natural compulsion and desire to experiment with color and texture. A love of color and the courage to use it has pushed me to create pieces I never thought I would.

Is there a tool or material that you can’t imagine living without?
Tissue paper, paper napkins and glaze. Without those three things I would be lost.

What inspires you to create?
That’s easy. Everything inspires me. To be more specific I am inspired by color and texture. Both natural and man made.

What inspires you to keep going when the work gets frustrating or tough?
Usually a deadline will inspire me like nothing else, but also, there is that compulsion to create. It is not something I can ignore and the release I feel while painting or sanding or playing with inks and dyes is something my soul just craves.

What is your best piece of advice for those who would like to rise in their level of artistry?
Play! Play like you did when you were 3 or 5. Don’t pick up a shiny new canvas and expect perfection to just flow onto it. Grab the back of an empty cereal carton and go for it. I see many fabulous artists who get lost in the blank canvas, or the beautiful paper they don’t want to ruin and they find it difficult to let go and just enjoy the process.

What takes up the majority of your time besides your art?
My job of course takes up 8-10 hours per day. My family (including my two cats) and my love for reading take up most of the rest. I dare not think about how much time I spend surfing the web and reading blogs.

What’s your favorite comfort food?
Anything with a red sauce or gravy.

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POSTED IN: Artist Profiles, Book Arts, Business tips, Collage, Creativity, Digital Art, Mixed Media