Meet Chelsea Chick

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chelsea Chick.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
Art has always been one of those things I’ve always been drawn to. As a kid, you couldn’t take me away from the art table in school. I don’t know that I always had the goal of becoming an artist and felt little tugs toward other career paths, but kept finding myself coming back to art. I have a bachelor’s of fine arts with a concentration in graphic design. I got my foot in the door, not by the usual internship, but taking on projects with those I was close to and building up my portfolio. Freelancing here and there and ultimately deciding to move to Chicago to pursue a career. To me, graphic design was more of a way of making ends meet, but I had been dipping my toe into other avenues in terms of passion projects. Before I had moved I made my first big purchase of getting a professional grade camera and was playing around with that. Helping friends photograph their projects/products. As well as collaborating with other friends as a fun way to experiment with photoshoot ideas that we had come up with.

This experimenting wasn’t limited to photography as my roommate at the time was just starting to get into painting. I had taken some painting classes in college which I loved, so taking what I had learned in those classes (the basics of oil painting and figure painting) and breaking away from that by using different mediums as well as a more abstract approach was quite freeing. I like that I am not tied down to any one type of artistic expression and I get to play around with so many different types of art (graphic/web design, photography, videography, painting, drawing and so much more). It really helps to have a great community of creative friends and family who are willing to play around with you and I think that is honestly what has helped me grow into the artist that I am today!

Please tell us about your art.
I make all types of art. What I’m most excited about at the moment are my abstract fluid paintings. The inspiration for my paintings definitely comes from nature. I always find myself looking out the window during flights and feeling inspired by the landscape from above. Most of my paintings have an aerial quality to them. Sometimes cosmic. Not only is being in nature therapeutic for me, but making these paintings is as well. I love watching as the paints flow together. One second, I am completely focused on a minute detail. The next I’m viewing it in the sense of the big picture. I’ve had to learn to not get so attached to parts of a painting. A lot of what goes into a piece you may not see on the surface because it tends to get covered by the layers as the piece is coming along, although the texture may still be visible. I imagine this is like the process we undergo within ourselves, and how we perceive others. What we project of ourselves has undergone similar play. Just as parts of the painting get covered by new layers, a person’s experiences add layers, but these new layers never completely hide the layers beneath from past experiences. For me, painting is a lesson in accepting imperfection. Flaws are what make each piece unique and beautiful. In life, we learn most when things don’t go as planned. And as for what I hope people take away from my art — I hope they will see what I see — the details, the flaws, the big picture – a way to zoom in and out, and to appreciate the details and the big picture in life, in nature, in their day-to-day experiences. At the very least, I hope my paintings will offer a peaceful place to be present, and visually rest and recharge.

Given everything that is going on in the world today, do you think the role of artists has changed? How do local, national or international events and issues affect your art?
I think the role of an artist is to stick to what is true to them and what they feel they need to communicate. There is so much going on that we don’t have control over and to say that all artists need to conform to a certain “role” would be a disservice to what it means to be an artist. For me, all that is going on locally, nationally, and internationally will always affect decisions being made in my life. But my art is more about reconnecting with a sense of what brings me peace. And in turn, that’s what I hope it brings to the viewer.

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
I show most of my painting work on Instagram (@chickwithacanvas). I also have a website for my graphic design/photography at www.chelseamchick.com. I have yet to make a website for just my paintings, but it’s on the to-do list! If people are interested in my work I would love to hear from them. All of the work I’ve done is commission based, but that’s not to say I wouldn’t show it somewhere if there was interest. All suggestions and feedback are welcome!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.chelseamchick.com
• Email: chelseachick15@yahoo.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chickwithacanvas/

Image Credit:
Images taken by me. The photo with me in it was taken by Ali Folster.

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