Artist Inspiration Interview: Spilling Over

I have some really fun things planned
for this little blog space of mine over
the next several months.. one of those
is sharing some inspiration from a few
of my creative friends.

I recently had the honor and privilege
of talking with Artist Extraordinaire,
Diana Trout.

Diana's new book, Journal Spilling,
is a favorite, and I was interested
to find out a little more about the
author, herself.

She graciously participated in an
inspiration interview for The Red
Door Studio.

So without further adieu...

1. Diana, you have an extensive Fine Art
background. How did you make the jump
from Fine Art to this Mixed-Media world?

"It’s been a very twisty road. The Philadelphia
art world is conservative (though slowly changing)
and I had trouble finding where my work fit.
When a friend introduced me to Teesha Moore’s
Studio Zine, I discovered this whole world of Mixed
Media. Oh joy! Here were my people!"


2. The atmosphere of your book is very
comfortable. I love the conversational tone.
Was Journal Spilling inspired by these
conversations that you had with yourself
or was this developed as a teaching style/tool?

"Oh thanks, Tracie. I’m so glad that the tone
carries through. I’d say that working through
my own concrete block was the first hurdle.
I know, first hand, what it is like to have a loud
whiney critic in your ear. I’m glad to bring my
process full circle and share what I had learned."

3. Where did the idea of describing your critic
come from?

"It was definitely a gradual process. I started
out describing him in words (rather unkindly)
and moved on to drawing. At some point, it
occurred to me that he looked sad. That led
me to empathize with him, as amazing as that
sounds!"

4. Currently, what is your favorite art work that
is not your own?

"I’ve had a huge crush on Charlemont’s The
Moorish Chief for years. He’s the sexiest man
I’ve ever laid eyes on. I get complete lost in the
whites of his gown! He hangs in the Phila. Museum
of Art and I have a print hanging in my studio.

Lately, these Slow Cloth pieces at HandEye are
making me crazy. I must look at them every day."


5. Currently, what is your favorite art technique?

"I love working with resists! I’m currently working
on small watercolors, mixed media pieces of the
architecture of my imaginary world, The NorthEast
Kingdom (NEK). I use crayons, fluid masking liquid
and gel glaze pens to resist the watercolor."


6. Currently, what is your favorite art product?

"Watercolors."


7. Do you have multiple journals? If so, how many
do you have?

"I do work in multiple journals.

Two spiral bound journals for my artwork: one
for my mixed media work which contains patterns,
color play, sketches of my Citzens, architecture and
maps for the NorthEast Kingdom. I use the other
journal for color exploration. For personal art journals
I have a small and large journal. I keep a composition
book for when I just want to write.

I like to make mini maze books to clip to magazines
that I’m reading for small notes, drawings, patterns,
words, etc. When I’m done with the magazine, I put
the maze book into either my personal or work journal."


8. Do you ever tear pages out of your journals?
If so, what do you do with them (i.e. recycle into
new works, throw them away?)

"Sometimes I plan to tear a page out as part of the
journaling process. I’ll tear a page out if it needs to
be in another journal. If I don’t like a page or it seems
too intensely private, usually I’ll either cover it with
gesso or clip a piece of paper over it that says “no
peeking). I’ve written over top of completed journal
pages: “this is a really ugly journal page.”

9. What is a typical day in the life of Diana Trout?

"I’m usually fully tanked on tea and in the studio
by 8 (ish). Morning is my most creative time so I
work on NEK, magazine/book projects or workshop
planning. Mid-afternoon is computer time: marketing,
sales and pursuing new business, answering emails.
The usual business-y stuff. I play with my kitty, take
a walk, talk to my husband at dinner. If I’m not teaching
an evening class, I blog and do some journaling, go
through the blogs, yahoo and ning groups and magazines
in the evenings so I know what is going on out there!

It’s a very full schedule and I’m grateful everyday that
I’m making this art-business work."


THANKS DIANA!

Stay Tuned for more Journal Spilling
Goodness. I'll be posting a book review
and GIVEAWAY on Wednesday.

And be sure to check out my
interview over on Diana's Blog.