Fresh Paint - Haydee Reveles

Summary

Heidi Relles, a Los Angeles-based artist, shares her journey into the world of art, inspired by everyday experiences, music, and her environment. Though self-taught, she has honed her skills with various mediums, eventually gravitating toward oil painting. Heidi discusses how boredom at home as a stay-at-home mom led her to discover her passion for painting. Her work often features themes from her life and surroundings, including sweets, urban culture, and children from underprivileged neighborhoods. Through her art, she encourages aspiring artists to remain persistent and passionate despite challenges.

Takeaways

• 🎨 Heidi Relles is an artist based in Los Angeles, California, and she's currently working on a piece for Thumprint Gallery in San Diego.
• 🖼️ Her art is inspired by random daily experiences, people's faces, skin tones, and especially music from various genres.
• 👶 Growing up, she didn’t have artistic influences in her family, and she started exploring art more seriously in high school.
• 🎨 One of her first artistic experiences was painting an angel with a devil’s tail in high school, where she broke traditional art rules.
• 👩‍👧‍👧 Before diving into art, Heidi was a stay-at-home mom, and her artistic journey began when she experimented with acrylics at home out of boredom.
• 🎨 Oil painting is her favorite medium because it dries slowly, allowing her to work on pieces over multiple days.
• 🎨 Heidi enjoys experimenting with different mediums like acrylics, aerosol cans, and watercolors but always returns to oil painting.
• 🎨 Her recent artwork is inspired by sweets, combining her signature girls with candy and roses to create engaging, unique pieces.
• 🧒 She is starting a series depicting children from poor neighborhoods to show that despite difficult surroundings, they can still dream and aspire to more.
• 💪 Heidi encourages aspiring artists to persist and keep working on their craft, even if they don’t feel good enough at the start.

Q & A

Who is the artist being interviewed and where is she from?

The artist being interviewed is Heidi Relles, and she is from Los Angeles, California.

What inspired Heidi's current piece for Thumpr Gallery in San Diego?

Heidi's current piece for Thumpr Gallery is inspired by her previous painting for another show called Elio, where she incorporated elements of death (morto) into her work.

What are some sources of inspiration for Heidi’s artwork?

Heidi is inspired by random things throughout the day, conversations with people, observing facial shapes and skin tones, and especially music, regardless of genre.

How did Heidi's family influence her journey as an artist?

Although no one in Heidi's family is an artist, her family has been very supportive of her work, encouraging her to continue and expressing pride in her accomplishments.

What was Heidi's first experience with art in high school?

In high school, Heidi had a memorable experience where her art teacher divided a canvas into squares, and she painted an angel with a devil's tail, going beyond the boundaries set by the teacher, which she saw as breaking art rules.

What medium did Heidi start with, and what is her favorite medium now?

Heidi started with acrylics, but her favorite medium now is oil paint because it dries slowly, allowing her to work on a piece over several days.

What initially got Heidi into painting?

Heidi began painting at home out of boredom while taking care of her two daughters. She found acrylic paint and a canvas, decided to try it, and became hooked.

How does Heidi describe her approach to learning art?

Heidi is self-taught and enjoys the challenge of teaching herself through the web and experimentation with different mediums. Although she wishes she could have gone to school for art, other priorities took precedence.

What message does Heidi have for aspiring artists?

Heidi encourages aspiring artists not to give up, even if their early work isn't great. She emphasizes the importance of passion and persistence in improving their skills.

What is the theme of Heidi’s upcoming series about children?

Heidi’s upcoming series will focus on children from poor neighborhoods, highlighting their ability to dream and aspire despite not having material advantages like better toys or shoes. The paintings will tell stories of hope and imagination in challenging environments.