Interview
Rebecca Case
Rebecca is a multimedia artist that explores the ever-present balance of life and death. She takes inspiration from the different ways nature overcomes death and solace in realizing that life finds a way.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I grew up in a military family, so I moved around a lot. I got to see many different places and meet many different people. One of those people would be the person who really started my art journey. He was my high school art teacher. He had a way of making art accessible and encouraged his students to play and explore all kinds of mediums and perspectives. From there, my journey with art was kind of like a situationship that would never resolve. On again and off again but always there. It wasn't until I was in my 30's that I started to shed my self doubt and really embrace the side of me that is an artist. And it wasn't until this past year that I started to show that side to the rest of the world. I'm still working on the confidence, but I feel like I'm settling into this person who expresses themselves through line and shape and color.”
What does your work aim to say? Does it comment on any current social or political issues?
“I'm hoping that my art explores the balance between life and death. Growing up in a military family and then pursuing a career in medicine, the reality of human mortality is pretty present. I've learned to embrace the fact that I'm going to die but sometimes that realization scares me or makes me panicked when I think about loosing loved ones. One of the ways that I overcome that is by going for hikes. I know that most people go on hikes to see nature, to see that life that's all around us. Smell the spring blooms, hear the birds etc. But for me, I hike to see play between life and death. I love looking at fallen logs covered in mushrooms, empty tree trunks with moss covering the outside, and even animal bones surrounded by grass. Those images let me know that even when I'm gone, life goes on.”
Do you plan your work in advance, or is it improvisation?
“I often plan my works in my head. I'll take photos of different details on my hikes, like mosses or lichens, and then think about how I would incorporate them into a painting. Right now I have been using different animal skulls as a base for those images. I will find a skull that I think is interesting and then try and use the vegetation that the animal either eats or lives in. Once I have an idea of which skull I want to paint and the plants or textures I want to use, I'll kind of draw a mental picture until it feels right. Once it feels right I put it on paper, hopefully.”
Are there any art world trends you are following?
“I love surrealism. One of my favorite painters is Vladimir Kush. Anything that looks at the world in a different way really speaks to me.”
What process, materials and techniques do you use to create your artwork?
“I usually start with a light pencil sketch of my skull to really nail down how I'm seeing the piece in my head. I use 300 gsm cold pressed watercolor paper, black velvet brushes, and a mix of Winsor and Newton/Daniel Smith Watercolors. Sometimes I'll add fine details with fine line markers at the end of the piece. Currently I'm experimenting with adding color pencil to my pieces to give an added depth.”
“I'm hoping that my art explores the balance between life and death.”
What does your art mean to you?
“I'm pretty introverted so my art is a way for me to talk about the things that I think are beautiful without having to say a word.”
What’s your favorite artwork and why?
“My favorite piece is a painting of a moose that is being covered by moss and turning into wood. I love that piece because it was my first big piece and it was one where everything came together exactly how I wanted it to. It was kind of my jumping off piece that helped spark my passion for how and what I paint today.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“I had an exhibition in Melbourne, Australia, last year. The show was at Sol Gallery and it was noteworthy to me because it was my first and it taught me so many things about the professional side of art and I challenged myself to complete 10 paintings while also attending a master's program. A lot of hard work but a really great experience.”
Website: www.artworkarchive.com
Instagram: @rcaseart
