Please introduce yourself. How did your brain injury inspire you to become an artist? How has art helped you?

Hello, my name is Drea. I am a book editor, as well as a visual artist from Canada. Due to a brain injury, my neurologist had suggested that I take up a new skill-set in hopes of building new neural pathways to aid in my recovery. I couldn’t draw to save my life, and so I decided to try my hand at it. I wouldn’t say that my brain injury inspired me to become an artist, I would say that I accidentally fell into the role as a result of the brain injury - happily so, that is. Art has helped me immensely. I don’t know if I will ever completely grasp just how much it has helped/changed my life. It has certainly been an important part of my recovery, but it has also been a means of meditation, as well as a means of experiencing joy on a daily basis. It’s truly been wonderful, and I hope to always make art.

What fascinates you about the human form? How do you capture an individual's personality through your work?

For me, the most fascinating thing about the human form - and humans in general, is the individual narratives we all carry within us. So much of ourselves is kept hidden from sight, and it’s those rare glimpses into that inner self that made me an avid people watcher from a very young age. As for capturing an individual’s personality in my work, I try to do this through the mood I convey in their gaze - as well as the use of colour I apply to their figure.

What is the relationship between psychology and art?

To me, there is such a strong and deliberate relationship between psychology and art. As an artist, the hope is that your work connects to some intrinsic part of a person - whether that be to their heart, their intellect, or what some refer to as the soul. It is through these parts of ourselves that we react - whether it be positively or negatively to a work of art. It goes without saying that when an artist creates a work of art, those parts within themselves have been activated and therefore reflected in the work itself. So, when an artist gives those aspects of themselves freely to their work, it directly impacts how the viewer will receive the work at the other end.

Thinking about your piece, 'Doris', describe your creative process from start to finish. What was your initial source of inspiration?

Because my goal is to capture something of the inner life of my subjects, my creative process sometimes involves looking at photos of the person and sitting with the idea of that person in my head for some time. The people I enjoy capturing the most are people I feel a strong pull towards - whether it be because something of their physical quality stands out to me, or because I admire what they have created themselves. Ideally, it will be both. With my piece Doris, it involved both. Being a fan of Doris Lessing’s novels, and finding her face to be interesting, I found an old photograph that I thought had captured not just her physical form, but something of her personality. This was the inspiration for my portrait of her, and the process of that piece was incredibly fluid from start to finish as I had not just a cerebral connection to the subject, but also an emotional one.

Which part of your painting process excites you the most?

I think the most exciting part of the painting process for me is seeing a person come to life on the paper before me. I am often very surprised by the people that end up looking back at me as I step away from my desk. I source people from all places - from the street, from old photographs. It’s more likely I see someone - whether it’s on the street or in my social media feed that has a face/feature that speaks to me, and then I try to capture it in my own interpretation.

What does a typical day look like for you in the studio?

A typical day in the studio starts with me either putting a record on or playing a shoegaze or indie sleave playlist on Spotify. I’ll then decide which size of paper I want to work on, and the scope of the project I want to take on. It’s then that I decide on where to draw my inspiration from. I have a photographic memory for faces, so I will either draw from my internal View-Master™ or I will go to my saved images on my phone. I absolutely hate mixing paints, and so I will often reuse the same palette over and over again until I’ve run out of paint and have no choice but to mix. This inevitably leads to a series of works that contain a limited edition colour palette. I never spend more than a few minutes on the initial drawing, unless it’s a bigger piece or I really want to accurately capture a certain feature. For me, the joy comes from applying the paint to the drawing and so most of my time is spent doing this. I am also a messy painter, and often I end up using my hands in some manner. It’s very common to spot fingerprints of mine somewhere within the painting. I also don’t spend much time cleaning my studio or washing my brushes. My poor brushes, they truly are beyond repair!

Which piece has been your favourite to work on, and why?

I would have to say that it isn’t one piece in particular, but rather a series of pieces of the same subject. I just love Virginia Woolf’s face. Those eyes, that nose! And I have yet to successfully capture her. The fact that I haven’t yet done so, it’s a real challenge to me - one I absolutely take joy from. I will no doubt spend the rest of my days trying to paint her enigmatic gaze.

Who is your greatest artist inspiration? If you could ask them one question, what would it be?

Does it have to be just one? I’d say Egon Schiele has definitely been an inspiration to me. The sharp, yet fluid lines of his figures appeal to me greatly. Not to mention his use of colour. If I could ask E.S. one question, I think it would be: The girl with the yellow stockings - do you wish you had painted them a dierent colour? Beyond E.S., I have also found inspiration in the works of Charlotte Salomon, Alice Neel, Tina Berning, Lucian Freud and Vanessa Bell.

What are your future aspirations as an artist?

I feel strange speaking of this. For many reasons. One of the main reasons is the fact that the brain injury resulted in a seven year stretch where my life was essentially on hold. Slowly but surely I have started to allow myself to want things - and to actually plan for them. I will be taking the TURPS Correspondence program starting this fall. Taking this step, both terrifies and excites me as an artist. I am investing in my practice in a way I haven’t been able to in the three years since I started making art. And like most artists, I dream about having a solo show. I have no idea if it will actually happen, but I am committed to the idea of it. A spark has been lit.

Why do you think art is important in society?

I am a firm believer that art is necessary to the progression of societies. Art shakes us out of our conformities, our doldrums and our reverie in a way that not much else can. It challenges us to think in new ways. It can elicit a full spectrum of emotions in us. It can bring such beauty and joy to our lives. In my opinion, there are very few things in life that can expand both the mind and heart in such profound ways as that of art.

Drea Cohane

ARTIST INTERVIEW: DREA COHANE