Interview with:Mindy Hope Sommers [mindysommers]
ART
 | What do you do? How do you define yourself as an artist? I am a professional, licensed artist and graphic designer; my work is available for licensing through Artlicensing.com. My day job is Color Bakery, where we print my art on custom tile (murals, floors, accent tiles, art gifts, home decor accents, wearables), manufacture them and sell them all over the world. |
| What is your message? I don't have a message that I use my art to communicate with. I am a simple woman; I want people to look at my work and feel joy. Or at least less miserable. ;) |
| Your biography in four lines. Emotional.
Empathetic.
Laughing.
Creative, moody. |
| Do you upload your work to the web? If so, where could we see it? |
| How is an idea born? For you, what is inspiration? Other artists inspire me. Sometimes my inspiration comes completely unbidden, but no less powerful. |
| What role does technology play in your creative process? It is everything. As a digital artist, my arsenal is strictly technological. |
| What is art? To some, it is a pleasant pastime. To others, it is lifesblood, soul's work. I am the latter. |
| When do you get your best ideas? In the middle of the night, when the world sleeps. |
| How do you evaluate whether an idea is good or not? If it stands up to time and prevails. |
| Three creative ideas that you would have liked to have created? Too many to name. |
| When and how did you begin to see yourself as an artist? When people became serious about buying my work, and we started to pay our mortgage with it. |
| Why do so many artists and creators have such volatile personalities? We are enslaved to our art, which is our "other" spouse. We feel things, emotions, life events, in big bruises instead of tiny pinpricks. |
| Do you consider yourself postmodern? Not really. |
| How should a work of art be evaluated? That's not an easy question. There are two types of art. The art that people buy, and the art you create for yourself. Both have different parameters and rating systems. |
| Must an artist reinvent him/herself everyday? To a degree. But a certain definition, a unique stylization, or "voice" is what develops when you've grown as an artist. When that voice becomes quickly recognizable as yours, that is an accomplishment not to take lightly. That said, bursting through barriers and breaking out of self-imposed ruts is just as important. |
| Which artists do you admire and how do they influence your work? To answer that would take a tome. I will say that I will forever thank the impressionists. There are a lot of modern artists I have great admiration for, as well. And art nouveau was the most glorious period of art. Naming names? Mucha, Monet, Van Gogh, Rothko, Parrish, Beardsley, Steinlen, Redoute. |
| What do you think about public funding for the arts? I think it's like anything else--if the budget allows for it. Even as an artist, I see funding for the arts as a luxury. It's not fighting hunger or poverty. When a household can't fit something in its budget, it cuts it out. The government would be well-served to do the same. Art will find its way; a rose will always spring up amongst the weeds no matter how many times you stomp on them. |
| Is art necessary? Oh Lord, yes, I think so. A world without art might function, but it would be colorless and joyless. |
| Does it pain you to let go of a piece you have sold? A digital artist never has to deal with that kind of pain. We're like Doritos, we'll just make more. We never lose the "original." |
| Is a work of art purchased, or is it better said, that it is the artist who is bought? When you have not made it, they have bought the art. After you've made it, they have bought the name. |
| In art, there is no guide. How do you know what the next step is? My soul will tell me. |
| How do you feel about the fact that the pieces exhibited in contemporary art museums are often of artists already deceased? I would like to see that tradition shift a bit but I am not torn up about it. What does bother me is that generations of artists' relatives would like to benefit forever and ever from their famous relative's works. There's something wrong with that. I think the wife/husband and children should benefit, and then it should be public domain. Too many riches are amassed from benefiting (and not sharing) the work of a distant relative. |
| What role have the figures of art dealer, gallery owners, representatives, and intermediaries in general played in your career? Absolutely no role. I find reps to be utterly useless at best, dishonest at worst. They are a dying breed, artists don't need reps. (I am not referring to licensing, which is a different ballgame. I am talking about retail reps). Thank goodness for the internet, who has put the power back into the hands of the artist, where it has always belonged. Because of the internet, when it comes to art, I have been the master of my ship. |
| What types of jobs do you usually do? Art jobs? I create for my customers. And then myself. |
| Which of your jobs or tasks do you most enjoy? Creating for myself, and not for monetary recompense. |
| Do you personally collect any items? I like ugly dolls. I also love antique mirrors, lamps, fabrics. |
| Which websites do you frequently visit? True crime blogs, news, spiritual, anomalies, Photoshop resources, stuff like that. |
| What advice would you give to those just beginning? Take risks. Be seen. Work hard, and then harder. Look at other artists' work, decide what you like and why you like it, and then discard what you don't like. Find your own voice. Don't depend on reps or galleries--use the internet, which is the biggest cannon in your arsenal. Get your work out there by developing a strong web presence. Keep creating, even when you don't feel like it. |
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397 visits Whohub
Mindy Hope Sommers
Poultney, VT
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95721 interviews created
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