Congratulations to artist Kahlia Lear, our latest Instagram winner! Kahlia is a mixed media artist, born and raised in Southern California: "I would categorize myself as a mixed media artist, where I dabble in many different mediums like watercolor, oil, acrylic, sculpting, and lately it's been fluid painting. I always say my art is tropically wild and ocean inspired. I have a slight obsession for all things water, marine life and wild animals."
Does where you currently live influence your work?
Yes, I think so. I'm sure living in sunny Southern California is influenced a lot throughout my work. I love the sea, bright tropical colors and the feel of sunshine in my work.
What's your art background?
I am self taught. My artistic journey began the moment I learned how to pick up a pencil and draw. My mom used to think I traced my drawing as a little kid, haha! I also attended California State University, Northridge and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Fine Art.
Are you a full time artist or do you create around work hours?
I work freelance in the tv/film industry in production and scenic art which gives me a lot of freedom to pursue my artwork. Eventually I hope to make the jump to be a full time artist in the near future.
What do you love about the mediums that you use?
I think out of all the mediums I use, watercolor and fluid painting I enjoy the most. I love the unknown outcome of each piece I create, making each painting unique and one of a kind.
Can you provide a brief rundown of your process?
Sometimes I plan out what I'm going to do, and other times I just wing it. I find when I think too much about what I'm trying to create, it never goes right. So throwing some paint down and seeing what happens is what makes it fun. I don't necessarily have a process because I go about each painting I create differently.
When did you discover resin?
When I started to explore fluid painting, I did a lot of googling to learn more about it, best techniques, etc and I stumbled upon Olga Soby's YouTube videos where she uses resin in her paintings.
How has resin impacted your artwork?
Using resin has changed the game for me with my art. I think since using it, I have been able to finally find a signature style that is something I feel really confident about.
Why do you want to make art? What motivates you to create?
It's something I really enjoy and have a lot of pride in creating. It makes me feel good when I complete something, like "Wow, I made that!"
Does art help you in other areas of your life?
I think art is a good stress reliever. It's like therapy to me. When I paint, I just zone out and kinda get lost in it and forget about anything that might be troubling me.
What do you hope someone sees or feels when they look?
I want people to feel like they're on a vacation when they see my work.
To see more of Kahlia's work:
Visit her website: www.klearwaterstudio.com
Follow her on Instagram: @klearwaterstudio
Congratulations on your win, Kahlia!
Every month, to celebrate our community of artists, ArtResin will send out a 32 oz kit to two lucky people who have tagged us on Instagram, showing the work they've created with ArtResin.
Don't forget to tag YOUR ArtResin work with @art_resin on Instagram, and YOU could be our next winner!
ArtResin: Made For Artists, By Artists.
