Today I am sharing an interview I did with friend and watercolor artist John DuVal. This is a new interview series I am calling Artist in Residence.
I heard this great quote on the web recently: “On the bright side, I am no longer calling this shelter-in-place. I am now an artist-in-residence.” It got me thinking about how times of adversity and challenge are often what inspire action and creation for us artists.
I decided to seek out some peers whom I admire and ask them how they are using this time to be working artists. What has changed for them? Where are they finding room to create at home if they previously worked in an offsite studio, out-of-doors, or are now sharing a home studio with other working-from-home family members? What are they creating now – is it influenced by the current situation or on a similar path as before? Are they feeling called to action or struggling to create?
Everyone is responding differently to this crisis. Let’s learn how others are coping with their new status as Artists in Residence.
A little bit about this video: John DuVal is a very talented watercolor artist who paints urban landscapes and dabbles in other media as well. He is a teacher at the Jersey City Art School and also a teacher on Creative JumpStart. In this interview John discusses the challenges of now working on his artwork at home, away from his regular studio, including working at a smaller scale, choosing specific materials that can be taken out and packed away more easily, and dealing with lighting issues. He also talks about using technology and how that has become a new way for him to more easily create as he works as an artist from home, but also discusses it as a double edged sword and is careful with how he lets technology influence his practice as an artist.
You can learn more about John and see his gorgeous work at: https://www.instagram.com/duval.artist/
