Tell me about yourself. How has your passion for art history been influential to your own work?

I grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I started studying art when I was 12 years old with Carol Arabie a wonderful painter and person, and I’ve been drawing and painting ever since then. Art history has been a massive influence on my own work. Before I thought I’d be a full time painter, I actually wanted to be an art historian, but in my junior year of high school I decided I’d regret not pursuing drawing and painting. I’m currently a 4th year student at Grand Central Atelier, and while working on projects at school students are all constantly looking at old master and 19th century works in order to learn from them.

What charms you about the human face? What are the characteristics of an interesting face to paint/draw?

I think portraits are just such an emotional subject matter that it’s something I find easy to connect with while working. They also present such a challenge regarding the technical side of things that it’s hard for me to get bored while working on a portrait, since there’s always something I could be improving upon in my work to get my painting more true to the sitter. I love painting a variety of people and characteristics for that reason, because every face presents a new challenge I have to puzzle out.

Who would be your dream sitter, and why?

This is such a hard question! I think a dream sitter would be the one willing to sit still the longest haha, that way I could continue the painting endlessly.

Thinking about your piece, ’Self Portrait at 21’, what was your creative process? How does this work reflect you as an individual?

My self portrait at 21 was done over the time span of a few months. I’d say it was a good example of my usual process, because I first put all of my energy into the technique and making sure I was being intentional with everything thing I put down, but after the technical framework was laid down as accurate as I could make it, I think the more emotional side was allowed to come in. It was also done while I was working from home during the pandemic, and I’d say it was one of the more intense periods of self reflection I’d had in a while and for me stands as a reminder to be patient as it usually pays off. I really enjoy quiet, still moments in life and I think this piece shows that.

You use a variety of mediums to produce your artwork, which is your preferred medium? How does the choice of medium help convey a narrative?

My favorite medium is oil paint. Oil paint allows me to continue working on a project for longer periods of time than say graphite, because eventually the graphite can start to overwork the paper, whereas with oil paint it becomes a better painting surface as you work the paint in layers. Oil paint also allows for every aspect of making work that I enjoy, you can draw with it, play with value and color, so it gives me access to the most tools I like to use which means I can utilize more to help convey whichever narrative I’m trying to achieve.

What are your painting essentials in the studio?

My studio essentials are lead white (Cremnitz white), round brushes both synthetic sable and bristle, and Vermont Maple Ginger tea.

Who is your favourite artist? If they were sat next to you right now, what would you ask them? Do they have an influence on your work?

It is so incredibly hard to choose. At the moment I would say my favorite artist is Bertha Wegmann, but Anna Bilinska has been a big inspiration lately as well. I would ask both of them when did they know they were ready to push forward to the next phase of their painting careers. As artists I think we all feel like forever students, so how to balance that constant desire to advance their skill with their ambition to move on to larger more complex narratives is something I’d love to hear them talk about. Both of these women have a large influence on my work as I constantly look to their work to help solve problems in my own, as well as for inspiration since both of them have made work that can really hold me no matter how many times I look at it.

Why do you think art is important in society?

I think art is important for so many reasons. The one that comes to mind first is that it forces people to slow down. Spending hours, weeks, even months on a painting has improved my ability to think clearly and slow down to take in the present. In an age of constant over stimulation, great work has the ability to just stop us for a moment and take in what we are seeing.

Tori Lily Cole

ARTIST INTERVIEW: TORI Lily COLE