Angelica Hay and Multidimensional Creativity
Creating and breaking visual limitations is a daily exercise for painter and musician, Angelica Hay. Living locally here in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Hay shares with us her thoughts on creativity and systematic painting.
Angelica Hay
Photo by Hwa-Na Jeen
KARDIA: Tell us a little bit about yourself as an artist.
ANGELICA HAY: I'm a painter, multimedia artist, and musician. Lately, I spend most of my time creating for Pink Sky, a collaborative art and music project/band with my husband.
K: What is your studio day like? Do you have consistent routines or does it vary day by day?
AH: My painting studio routine has been a bit irregular lately, though I generally prefer consistent routines for painting because I’m the most productive that way. I like to reserve large blocks of time, usually painting several hours at a time. My ideal painting routine would be to wake up, have a coffee and paint until dinner time, with a little lunch break. I'm more focused in the daytime and I like the natural light. Once I start a painting it's usually hard to stop because when I'm not painting, I'm always thinking about my next move. And if I put an unfinished painting off too long, I end up having a hard time picking it back up and connecting with it.
Currently, I’m finding an easier time connecting with music and have a very consistent and scheduled sort of routine, with personal practice in the morning and recording or producing during the day and evening, punctuated by dog walks and snacks of course.
Microarray Release #3
oil on wood panel
K; What is the greatest duty of an artist?
AH: To make the work they feel compelled to make, not what they think they should make.
K: Do you have any creative mentors or influences that give you inspiration? How do you incorporate those inspirational sparks into your work?
AH: The west Texas desert has been a source of inspiration since 2017, when I first visited, and I'm able to reflect on it often by incorporating aesthetic elements of minimalism into my workspace.
Microarray Study #3
oil on wood panel
K: When creating your paintings, Microarray #1 & #2, what was the most important part of the process and development? Do you typically know how pieces will turn out or are you often surprised with the end result?
AH: Microarray #1 and #2 are very systematic paintings, so I would say that every step is equally important. Each step relies on the previous step, though I have to say that painting around all of the circles is probably the most satisfying part. The repetition and motion feels meditative and calming. I know how the painting will turn out in that it will be a microarray painting. But the patterns that the circles make are unplanned and reveal themselves as I add each thin layer of paint, randomly filling in some circles in each subsequent layer. I don't always know how thin layers of color will interact with the layers underneath, so that is always a pleasant surprise at the end, too.
K: Outside of the studio, where do you find inspiration in life?
AH: I find inspiration from seeing and experiencing art, whether it’s an art exhibition, public art, a concert, a new album or song. There’s something truly amazing about experiencing other people’s work that really gets the ideas flowing. And if it doesn’t inspire ideas directly, it at least inspires me to work harder. That's definitely one part of my life that has been very difficult to adjust to the last six months.
Microarray #2
oil on wood panel
K: What is some advice or exercises you could give for artists that are experiencing “artists’ block” or creative resistance with their work?
AH: Keep making stuff, even if it's not "the" idea or big project you are looking to work on. The best ideas come usually while I'm making something or thinking about a thing that I am making. It is when I've spent time away from making things, that I most often experience artists block. I've also found that working outside of my normal modality, like experimenting with new materials, is a nice way to get back into creating. The new materials force me to think and work differently -– and allows for surprising things to happen. An entire idea for a new piece of work can rest on that surprise. It's pretty exciting when that happens.
K: Are you experimenting with anything new in the studio? Do you see yourself painting new subjects or using different materials?
AH: In visual art, no, not at the moment, though I have been dabbling in building and carpentry projects. In music, yes, so many new things. Since our shows have been cancelled due to COVID, I've been spending a lot more time in the studio working on Pink Sky music. We've started recording new material and I've jumped into a producer role for the first time. I'm learning how to use Ableton, which I'm super excited about. Over the last couple of months, I've really connected with making music on the computer, and it has been surprisingly generative in terms of songwriting. I've also been teaching myself piano and drums for when Ryan and I start a rock band.
Microarray Lightforms
multimedia installation
K: How has the Grand Rapids community shown up for you as an artist? Are there areas in which GR could grow and improve on for the artist community as a whole?
AH: The art community was so welcoming when I first moved to Grand Rapids. They were encouraging and accepting and that really helped me gain confidence in my work as I was just beginning to feel comfortable calling myself an artist for the first time.
One of the ways that Grand Rapids could support the local artist community is by supporting efforts to fund the arts, or donating to arts organizations and programs.
K: What are some ways that your community can directly support you as an artist?
AH: They can support my personal artwork by purchasing or commissioning work. They can also support me as an artist by checking out my band, Pink Sky, and following us on Spotify. They can also check out our videos, photo projects, and merch.
Microarray #1
oil on wood panel