About the Artist - Rukisa
Name: Legally I am called Marissa. But you can call me Rukisa because I’ll probably answer to that better. “Why,” you ask? I’ll never tell you. And now that I’ve planted the seed, it’s going to bother you.
Favorite Medium: Watercolors are my favorite (I tend to use watercolor pencils), but more often than not I am drawing simply with a graphite pencil. You can tell because my hands get all gray and smudgy, and occasionally I’ll scratch my nose or something and get smudges on my face. I also do a lot of photojournalism and macro photography.
What Inspires You?: I love the colors of nature, specifically the leaves in Autumn. It’s my favorite season. On top of that, I’d have to say my kitties and my wonderful hubby give me much inspiration as they warm my heart and soul and give me the courage and strength I need to get through each day. (Sappy, I know.)
What is One Medium you Would Want to Try?: I’d love to work with clay more. I’ve tried it in the past and loved getting my hands dirty, but it’s been years since I’ve made pottery and I’d like to try it again and hone my shotty pottery wheel skills. I’d also love to learn how to sew, make my own clothes, even cross stitch or hand embroider. I really just want a physical piece of art that is not a piece of paper…
What is on Your Artist Playlist?: I’ll be honest, I don’t have a special playlist I use to get those creative juices flowing, but more often than not, I find myself listening to folky/blues-y stuff like Sarah Jarosz. Give me that banjo and acoustic guitar and I’ll be happy.
I also tend to sway towards soft voices like The Postal Service, Matt Duke, The Tiny, and instrumentals like Explosions in the Sky and 65 Days of Static. (Go YouTube everyone I just mentioned. Right now.)
Anything Else You Want to Share?: “HI MOM!!” …Just kidding.
I want to throw a bit of inspiration your way in case you’re feeling lost in your artistic journey. I use a lot of my emotions in my art. Not only as a inspiration, but as a way to cope with negative feelings. I pour my heart and soul into my art and whenever I’m feeling bad, I will sketch up an idea. A lot of my drawings end up unfinished, but that’s completely okay. I take it as a learning opportunity. It’s okay to get frustrated at a project and take a break. You can put it down and step away from it forever, or you can start up a new project and return to your unfinished project when you feel ready.
Learn from your mistakes and use your emotions as fuel for your art.