Name: Katrina Marie Loera
Website: N/A
What do you do?
I am an art teacher at
Where can we find your work?
I participate in a few local art shows per year.
What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
I am inspired by all of the talented people around me… and of course, my students J When things get tough and I need motivation, I try to spend some time around as many art events and artists as I can…the work of others motivates me more than anything!
What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
I love content…I want my art to speak to you…it is an opportunity for me to have a voice in a positive way.
Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
Those who dedicate their lives to making the world a better place…I know that’s vague, but there really isn't one specific person. Most of the people who inspire me are not celebrities or well known in any way…they are just ordinary people who do whatever they can to promote a positive change in the world!
If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
Wow…tough question…there’s a character in a young adult book called Stargirl…she carries around an ukulele and sings songs at lunchtime… she carries her pet rat on her shoulder, and dresses in dresses from years in the past…her favorite pastime is to give random gifts to strangers or go for walks in the desert and watch the sunrise and set…she appreciates the world around her for what it is with no complaints…she’s pretty awesome…I’d like to be her J
When do you get your best ideas?
I hate to admit it but my best ideas come when I’m alone and there are no distractions. When I am out for a run or ride in the mountains…alone in the wilderness my creative thoughts come pouring out. I cherish this time in nature and it seems to stimulate my creativity.
What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
I love to sketch. I never get tired of pencil and paper. I love most mediums that I have tried but I do most of my pieces in oil. If I want to produce more pieces in less time, I will resort to acrylics and I am beginning to appreciate them more and more. My favorite medium with my students is tempera and cardboard. It’s amazing how beautiful these paints can look when applied to recycled cardboard!
Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
I consider myself mostly self-taught but I guess you could say I was formally educated through the classes I took over the years for my credential. I really wish I could have had the opportunity to attend an art college. There are areas in which I struggle to learn technique. But in some ways, that struggle has made me the artist that I am today.
If your creative work was edible what would it taste like?
Duh…Chocolate (vegan of course)
When you are not creating what do you like to do?
I love to play sports: Ride my bike, play basketball, soccer, snowboard, surf, you name it! I’m an adrenaline junky! But I also love to write poems and stories, sing and play music, perform…so I guess you could say I’m an ARTS junkie as well. Sports and the ARTS are my life!
How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
Hmmm…that wasn't easy…I mean I’ve always done art…but not until I was asked to do a mural for the city did I feel confident in my talent…After weeks of having people visit me at the wall, I was okay with sharing my art…I guess I never thought my art was worthy of public viewing until that experience. I realized that it wasn't about how well I could draw or paint, because art speaks to everyone in a different way and people connect to each other through art…it’s an amazing thing! Since that experience I had the confidence to begin to seek out small local shows to display and sell my art. I hope to do more in the future.
What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
Do it for you, not anyone else…Don’t try to create what’s popular, or what you think others will like…take risks…the best art is raw…unjudged…it is your interpretation of your world…so go at it without restraints…
You are remarkable Katrina!
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