The first artist is someone you guys are going to love. I honestly was captivated by her work from the moment I stumbled upon it. I have several of her prints and posters on my birthday wishlist **cough cough, family, cough cough** but enough of me rambling, here is your first "Life of an Artist"...
-Tell us about yourself.
My name is Jodi Fuchs. I create visionary abstract paintings that are very much influenced by my meditation and yoga practice. I have a thing for color, and movement and texture. I love pushing paint around and being in that place of discovery and pure expression with it. I paint from the inside out, whereas other people paint from the outside in. They paint what they see. I paint what I feel.
I love and teach Kundalini yoga. My favorite thing in the entire world is to swim with wild
dolphins. Eye to eye. Uh-maze-ing. Oh, and I have a thing for good salad bars. and Peet's coffee.
- how did you get started painting? when did you begin selling your work?
When I lived in Santa Fe, NM 10 years ago, I began focusing more on my fine art. But it's really
been in the last 5 years that I've made a real go at it. I've been lucky in that just about every time I showed my work, something sold. So I knew I was on the right track. I have a publisher now that makes posters of my work and I also rent out pieces for TV and film sets.
- what inspires your art? what is the typical process in developing a new painting?
My art is inspired by what's going on in my life at the time. I can see exactly where I was "at"
looking at different paintings of mine. Oh, that one was when I came back from Bali and I felt really
open and connected to lotus flowers. Or, I was doing a meditation for 40 days and this piece came out of that. Or, I heard on Good Morning America that "143" means "I Love You" when text messaging. I should use that in a painting. Which I subsequently did.
My process begins by tacking a large piece of canvas to the wall. I just start filling it up with whatever color I feel drawn to. It really all starts with color. I move the paint around. Put it on, take it off. The painting reveals itself. I never plan anything.
- I saw on your website you recently won a studio/ gallery for your work, could you tell us a little bit more about that.
Yes, this is incredibly exciting. I won a contest called "art of santa monica" sponsored by Archstone Apartments. I saw a tiny little ad in the LA Weekly and it said, submit your favorite piece, win $1000 and free gallery space for 6 months. I entered my piece "5 5 5: A Big Change is Coming" among over 150 other artists.
"5 5 5" was a bit of a departure from how I'd been painting in that it was really loose, had a graffiti feel to it. I loved it so I submitted it and won the contest! I'll be offering limited edition prints of the painting for the 6 months I'm here.
As for the gallery, I have a 2500 square foot space to play in. I moved my art studio here as well, so it's a combo platter: Jodi Fuchs Art studio and gallery.
The Grand Opening is Aug. 14th 2010 and I can't wait to share the space with the community.
I will have a group show to benefit the Ocean, a holiday bazaar, 2 guest artists a month, possibly teach some yoga out of here on a donation basis. I'm imagining Bollywood movie nights screening on the big white walls. Anything could happen.
(2000 Main St. in Santa Monica open wed - sun 12 - 6 and by appointment)
- What is your favorite piece you've made or project you've worked on so far?
Right now my favorite piece is my largest painting called "Thanks For Reminding Me". It's 4' x 9' and
was inspired by a guy I was dating. At first he was represented in the painting (we were kissing smack dab in the middle of the piece) but for some reason I couldn't get his face right in the painting. I tried three times! So I painted him out of the piece.
Well, you can imagine what happened after that! We stopped seeing each other, but I got a great painting out of it. It's about seeing the "yes" in all situations, visioning what you want, the union of masculine and feminine. I think it's my strongest piece to date.
-Where do you want to be as an artist in 1yr? 5yrs? 10yrs?
ooh, in one year I'll have been in this new space for 6 months and had 6 months to recover.
I see lots of sales and commissioned pieces. New licensing deals....perhaps a line of home products.
I'm getting married! (well, why not put it out there)
5 years? I'll be teaching yoga, teaching painting, traveling the world conducting creativity workshops,
living part time in Hawaii, waking up to swim with the dolphins then head off to my amazing tropical
art studio. For some reason, I keep looking younger.
In 10 years....more of the above!
