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Artist Spotlight No. 7: Daniel Anaka 

8/23/2013

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1. Who is your favourite artist?
I don’t really have a favourite, inspired by many, and these favourites change often. My favourite kinds of artists are those who creatively and effectively communicate something that is inside or around them. Those who spend time and skill in their work, and strive to improve their work. I enjoy artists who see beyond their artistic practice, live creatively, and become an art piece in society.

2. What were you like as a child?
I was quiet, kind, creative and considered learning disabled. I had difficulty in communication, reading, writing, math, memory and organizational skills. Where I lacked, I made up with abilities in visual communication and imagination. I had expressed a competitive nature in the subject of visual art, as it was what seemed to be my only strong point. I was constantly being tutored in other subjects and attended classes for the learning disabled, and this had a huge effect on my self esteem. I felt suppressed by the education system in art, and found it incredibly difficult in the other subjects taught in school. I’m still that child in a sense, and choose to challenge myself in the area’s that I’m considered disabled in.

3. What inspires you the most?
I’m an appreciably self taught artist, inspirations transform from day to day, and I will never limit myself to anything singular. In my earlier years I was inspired by comic illustration. I had become interested in wildlife, gained skills in painting and drawing incredible textures that nature creates. Soon after I had began studying the work of past masters. My paintings quickly became more personal, expressing genuine emotion, and a unique style I could call my own. I had strong opinions on the world, an undeniable bitterness towards society and the arts at the time. Many of my paintings created reflected heavily on my struggles as an artist. I had begun studying photography, became a photographer and my artwork became inspired by it as much as my artwork motivated the photography. My frequent inspirations as of late are within myself, people, and the psychological makeup of our society. I’m aiming to tackle many of the labels and misconceptions of who an artist is. I am leading and transforming other artists, while curating and contributing my unique showmanship to exhibits for upcoming artists and myself. I live an interesting life, that is my main inspiration, perhaps I’ll be a character in a film or book one day.

4. Do you have any rituals for creating your art?
I stretch multiple canvases, tone them, paint on them directly with a brush with little or no planning. The pieces develop as I work. I like ‘noise’, and enjoy working with plenty of distractions around me. I guess I see it as a way of subliminally learning. I’ll listen to audio books, music, sound frequencies, and watch films while working. I enjoy crowds around me while I work, and will talk with the muse while working.

5. What impact do you hope your art has on others?
I’d like people to feel what I or the subject was feeling as I created the artwork, possibly relating to the artwork. Inspiring other artists, would also be a goal. I’d like art to go beyond how we see art, where it becomes a notable part of our everyday lives. I’d like to have an impact on everyone to live artistically, and feel it’s healthy.

6. Do you think you are ever misunderstood as an artist?
Misunderstood? No, I feel if I effectively communicate, there is no misunderstanding. It’s not another persons responsibility to understand me, it’s my responsibility.

7. Where do your ideas come from?
My surroundings, experiences and imagination.

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Artist Spotlight No. 6: Grace Loney 

8/2/2013

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1. Who is your favourite artist?
Currently, I'm most inspired by the work of Andy Goldsworthy, whom I would best describe as an environmental sculptor. Much of his work is inquisitive and playful and accessible to all as inspiration.

2. What were you like as a child?
I can remember wanting to fly with the birds, spending hours lying in the grass looking up at shape shifting clouds, and figuring out how to build wings.

I can remember being late for kindergarten, with a soaker, after having walked up the creek most of the way to school with all the curiousity of a kid.

3. Do you have any rituals for creating your art?
Ultimately, I need to leave myself and my preconceptions behind. I need to do whatever it takes to get to that place where I don't interfere with my work.

4. What impact do you hope your art has on others?
I think this world would be a much happier place if humans were allowed to enjoy themselves authentically from an early age. Yes, that means be creative. And of course within the context of living in this world with a small footprint. I like to try to live creatively, and inspire others to do the same.

I find that people who call themselves 'non-creative' tend to separate themselves from creative work. These people tend to want to know the meaning the artist intends in a piece, rather than responding freely with their own instincts and experiences and perhaps gaining inspiration. I believe that every person is creative even if secretively (even to themselves).

5. Where do your ideas come from?
My ideas must come from beyond my understanding of my own limitations and then are developed subject to my limitations.


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    Selina Jane Eckersall is a content marketing strategist, freelance writer and entrepreneur living and working in Burlington ON. Selina is the Executive Director of No Vacancy. 


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