Paintpushers

Name: Kristine Clemons
Age: 30
School: Iowa State University graduated in 2000
Degree: Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis in Calligraphy and Photography
Day Job: Lead painter at Sticks, I have been there 8 years.
Statement about your work: Mixed Media paintings on paper. Mostly using fabrics, paper, and acrylic ink and paint. My work is subtle and simple with a collage feel.
Fun Fact: My husband and I, along with our two kids, own a hot air balloon and travel Iowa and the Midwest to fly it. My kids are 1 girl who is 9 and 1 boy who is 5.

Q and A:
How did you get started in the arts?
I used to love to watch my older brother draw, I wanted to be able to draw just like him. I started tracing things first, I think i was in about first grade, and it grew from there. I went to ISU with the intentions of getting a degree in Graphic Design and by the time my junior year in that degree program was over I realized that it was not for me. I took some calligraphy classes and found I would work on side calligraphy projects more than my graphic design assignments. I changed my major and have never regretted that decision.

How did you find your style and has it changed since then?
I took what I responded to most in the work I liked. My influences were strictly calligraphers in the beginning and it broadened from there. I can still see my beginning work in what I am doing now but my palette and influences have changed. The wonderful thing about creating art is it will always evolve.

What has been inspiring you lately?
I have always been influenced by history. I like the feel of things that have a past connected to them. I find myself drawn more to objects that have a long past such as chairs or rooms. I always wonder if they could talk what they would have to tell.

What is one of your favorite paintings or artist?
At the risk of sounding cliche…one of my all time favorite paintings is Starry Night. I like the way Van Gogh captured his emotions in paint. I cannot say that my own personal work is really influenced by it though. Artists that have influenced me work wise are Whistler and Hopper to name a few.

Any advice for others who are pursuing creative goals?
Find a group that can help you through your journey…like paintpushers has helped me. It is wonderful to have a group of like minded people to give you advice and bounce ideas off of. Critiques have been very valuable to me in pushing more work in the direction I wanted to go.