Hi All! I have been hoping for a few artists to feature on this site & since the second most desired topic was in fact "artists & their art" here we are!! If you wish to be featured please feel free to contact me! At this time I will feature artists freely and just appreciate the content. Perhaps a little reciprocal advertising of sorts would help? Anyway, I would love to hear from you!

I decided to do the interviews in a brief 20 Questions style... I think as artists and lovers of art we can get really wrapped up in the language we use to talk about our art...we can get wordy (I am sooo guilty of this.) So I ask the artists who respond to the 20 questions to be brief. I love hearing what they have to say when that have to get down to the "bare bones" of what they do. 

Enjoy!

Rachel Roemer and her Ladies-

Rachel is an artist and art teacher living in Wisconsin. She is actually a very dear friend and I am excited and honored for her to be the first featured artist on Run Mad Blog!!

Artist 20 questions-

1. Why do you make art? -  in 5 words or less

It is who I am. 

2. Name an artist (living or dead) who you would like to be your mentor.

Chuck Close or Toulouse-Lautrec

3. Name an artist (living or dead) that you would like to kick in the shins...(this would generally be your least favorite artist.)

None really, all have some influence good or bad...

4. Are you comfortable with the term "artist"? why or why not?

Yes but I have a problem when asked to define what an artist is. 

5. What is your favorite medium and why?

Soft pastels, the colors blend together really nicely. I like the ability to combined clear definition with softness.(If that makes sense.)

6. Least favorite medium and why?

Oil based ink because I work really messy and it is a ginormous pain to clean up!

7. Does/Did anyone in your family make art?

Yes. My dad has an art degree, my mom pursued one for awhile and both my sisters have good artistic abilities. 

8. When did you first realize you had some sort of artistic talent?

When I was about four, I won a drawing contest or something goofy like that.

9. Can art-making pay the bills?

If you choose to work your butt off to achieve that, I do it for personal gratification but feel weird asking for money for my art.

10. Do you think making art is therapeutic?

YES A MILLION TIMES YES.

11. Tell me about your most recent work of art....

I am currently drawing larger than life size portraits with companion pieces. The companion piece is a part of the body that the featured person in the portrait chose as their favorite. I have been trying to create work that is more personal and meaningful about the females in my family. 

12. What is/was your favorite piece of art you have ever created?

Right now it is a drawing I did of the side of my sister's neck.

13. Your least favorite creation?

Probably something I did in high school that had to do with 9/11. I was trying to get a piece of artwork in an art show and I thought going with something topical and emotional would be a shoe-in.

14. Sum up your artistic perspective or artist's statement in 10 words or less. (List form may be best...)

Demonstrate the female perspective of my female relatives about themselves and their bodies.

15. Is art essential?

Absolutely. Art helps complete the human being. 

16. You are at your most creative- what time of day is it?

Morning or evening. Pretty much anytime but afternoon when I am sleepy and want an after lunch nap.

17. How do you tap into the creative flow?

I just start working, I also have to play music or movies I enjoy. The noise around me helps me get to a good place and it is easier to start creating work and get into the flow.

18. How separate are you from your art?

I am very connected to my current work, it is more personal and I am actually feeling good about what I am creating. I have very little connection to my older work especially the stuff that were pretty much just assignments I was completing.

19.  Tell me about a project you wish you could do but can't- why can't you?

There was a political piece I did in my college sculpture class where I envisioned an elaborate way to display it that would have been huge and a lot of construction that I never got around to creating.

20. You are moving to a remote island. You have several necessities for survival but you can only take 2 items with which to make art. What are these 2 items?

Paper and pencils...I do love the basics.