House Of Vans Chicago was going off with talent last night with rad skating, music and art. We’re interviewing artist Tatiana Garcia who was hard at work on her live painting piece for SESSIONS HOV Chicago. Tatiana’s art is filled with colorfully fun and imaginative monsters in her own warped fairytale. Through bold color and clean lines, she tells her tale of super strange and cute creatures, including her main one who drips with whipped cream hair and sprinkles. Tatiana shares her artistic influences, her journey to becoming a full time artist, and what inspired her live painting at SESSIONS.
SESSIONS features live painting, open skate, emerging musician showcases and more, so make sure to check out and RSVP for upcoming SESSIONS in HOV CHICAGO and HOV BROOKLYN.
Photographs courtesy of the artist. Portrait by Peyote Creative.
Introduce yourself?
I am an artist from Chicago. I am a painter, illustrator and creator of Elloo (my monster fairytale world). It’s been over year and a half since I took art full-time. Before that I worked random jobs (switching jobs every year) until I finally decided I was ready to pursue art. I kept getting opportunities to paint and couldn’t resist. Life slowly kept pushing me towards this sweet path. It’s been a crazy journey.
Can you tell us a little about your piece and design for SESSIONS House of Vans Chicago?
I wanted to paint something sweet and fun for Sessions. The main character is one of my monsters with whipped cream hair, and sprinkles of course. It’s surrounded by happy clouds and cute little stars. For this live painting session I want to challenge myself to use a limited number of colors, including black and white.
What materials will you be using on your live painting for SESSIONS?
I will be using acrylic and house paint to fill in the main sections. I use Golden Fluid Acrylic for my line work. It’s the best thing to fall on my lap. The paint makes my lines super fine and each stroke perfect.
Where do you learn to paint? Was it something you self taught yourself or did you go to an art school?
I went to art school for graphic design and graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago. I took art classes in high school, but didn’t really take it serious. Art wasn’t something that my mom pushed on me, plus I was terrible at drawing. While I enjoyed it in high school I didn’t think it would be a good career decision but since I wasn’t great at math, science or writing I said why not? Hahahahah lack of options pushed me more into art. I learned how to draw in college, turns out I just had to dedicate myself more to the craft.
When did you first get into drawing? When did you realize that you could do this for a living?
I really got into drawing after my first drawing class at UIC. One of my professors encouraged me to pursue it more seriously. Again, why not? I decided to take my second drawing class and everything finally made sense. I was actually drawing toilet paper and everything spilled from my subconscious: lines, shadows, proportions, everything. Since then I just drew all the time. For a while I loved drawing old people and shortly after a lot of anatomy.
I realized I could do this for a living after working full-time for six months. I became a different person, I started having less time for painting and that crushed me. Being unhappy just wasn’t worth it. I had some savings and gigs lined up so I said let’s do this. Have not had regrets since then.
Who were some of your early artistic influences?
As a youngen I watched a lot of Tom and Jerry, Speedy Gonzales and collected Lisa Frank. I'm sure that inspired me somehow. There was some Rainbow Brite, and a bunch of other magical stuff.
What artists past and present are you really into at the moment? Any particular reason why?
I really dig artist who create their own worlds and characters. Some of my fave artists are Buff Monster, Jason Limon, Ten Hundred, Joey D, and Hikari Shimoda. I love the magical worlds they create and the great color usage. They all amaze and inspire me to push myself and go bigger and create more.
What makes you smile when viewing art? What is it you’re looking at – composition, color, line?
I really love looking at color and cute characters. Tiny characters or cutesy elements really make my smile. When viewing art I enjoy diving into the persons imagination. I like seeing how much they stray away from reality and create what doesn't exist. Then I look at technique and line work.
What’s a common misconception about artists?
Hmmmmm, probably that its an “easy” career. All one does is paint and life is full of rainbows. Everyone wishes they could have this life. Truth be told, it takes a lot of work to get to the point where one can just paint. Takes a lot of hustling and networking. As an artist, I have to find my gigs, put out product to make money, and network to get new opportunities.
How do you overcome drawer’s block?
To overcome drawer’s block I take a break from whatever it is I’m working on. I have found it best to not force myself to draw/paint. I’ll take my chihuahua on a walk or ill clean my studio. There is something about cleaning that makes me feel better. THere are times when I revisit my old work and try to rework those designs. But the thing that seems to work the best is taking a break to clear my head.
What type of music do you listen to when creating? Do you find it helps motivate you or just allows for background noise
I love having background noise, it’s a must. I mostly watch tv shows that can run continuously in the background. Lately I’ve been watching Third Rock From the Sun. I also dabble in court shows or Criminal Minds type of shows.
What do you think you’d be doing if you weren’t an artist?
Well I have tried a decent amount of career options to know that nothing compares to being an artist.
What are your favorite Vans?
Really diggin' the checker slip-ons. Lace free all the way!
What advice do you have for folks who want to do art for a living?
Takes a lot of patience and dedication. It’s a journey of challenges, ups and downs, and you learn a lot about yourself. I say believe in yourself and make it worth it. Take on new challenges and say yes to new things. It’s a beautiful journey with a lot of failing and doubt but in the end it’s worth it.
What are you super excited about that is coming up this year?
This year I have a couple of duo shows I’m thrilled about. In May with Red (@the_red_door) and in October with Joey D (joeyd76). In between all that getting back into sculpting and hopefully doing toys…hopefully. A bunch of other things as well, especially summer. Nice weather to start painting outside.
