DPW Spotlight Interview: Angela Ooghe

Each week we will spotlight a different DPW artist who will give away one of their best paintings.

To enter to win Angela's painting, "Nude on Red" go to Daily Paintworks and click on the link at the top of the page announcing their interview.

From Angela's DPW Gallery Page: 

I am an artist living in Miami. I strive to paint expressively, using compositions of bold shapes, strong lines, and the relationship of areas formed by light and darkness. I use these elements to form images that depict common visual experiences in new and interesting ways.

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

I have dabbled in painting for as long as I can remember, but I became serious in 2005.  I was living in New Orleans, and had to evacuate for Hurricane Katrina.  I spent a lot of time in a motel, both stressed and bored, and began painting portraits of other evacuees to pass the time.  When I was finally able to return to New Orleans, I found that I had fallen into the habit of painting as a way of keeping my bearings in the aftermath of the storm.

Did you have any stops and starts in your painting career?

No, I started painting in earnest rather late, but I've painted continuously since then.

Nude on Red
(click to view)

Enter to win by clicking on the link at the top of the DPW home page announcing Angela's interview.

What mediums and genres have you experimented with?

I've experimented with many things.  I've worked with oils, acrylic, watercolor, pastel, ink, various printmaking techniques, and many drawing mediums. I've painted portraits, still lives, figures, landscapes, still lifes, and abstracts.

Which ones have "stuck" and which ones have fallen away?

I primarily paint in oils, and sketch studies for paintings in charcoal.  But I haven't ruled anything out, and I'll often return to a medium or subject that I haven't explored in a while.

Swimmer
(click to view)

Which ones are you looking forward to exploring?

I would like to do more printmaking in the future. I find that the restrictions that force me to plan far ahead are completely unlike my usual alla prima technique, and therefore refreshing.

Who or what inspires you most?

I'm inspired by studying the paintings of great artists.  I also find inspiration in my subjects, especially the human form.

Yellow Chair
(click to view)

What does procrastination look like for you?

I don't really procrastinate when it comes to painting.  It's something I look forward to every day.

What techniques work to ensure that you make time for your art?

I paint full time, so it's usually all my other activities that I need to make time for.  I like to paint in natural light, so I try to work my schedule around maximizing that.  In Miami in the summer, that means getting work done before the afternoon thunderstorms darken the room.

Girl in Pink Robe
(click to view)

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

I honestly don't know.  I'm inspired by new techniques, people I see, things I see on the street, or the smallest detail of any of these. From all these, and sketches, photos, and other references to them, an idea for a painting somehow forms in my head. I then try to get it down on the canvas.  Often, the idea will change as I'm painting it, and I wind up with something else.

How do you keep art "fresh?" What techniques have helped you avoid burnout and keep your work vibrant and engaging?

I will often explore new media, tools, and techniques that will help me express what I want to put on the canvas. Each change requires mastering a new subject, so I'm continually challenged by the work. I'm often encouraged when I find an aspect of each new skill that advances what I'm striving to express.

Rachel 2
(click to view)

What do you feel you are learning about right now as an artist?

Lately, I've been working on taking a holistic approach to each work, and focusing on the overall impression of the painting, rather than obsessing over every detail equally.

What makes you happiest about your art?

I'm happiest when I look at a finished painting, and it works.

Thanks, Angela!

© 2015 Sophie Catalina Marine