Hallway by Krissy Downing

ArtOMatic opening approaches:  Friday, April 13.  2121 Crystal Drive in Crystal City (Arlington), Virginia.  It’s going to be wall to wall people and tons of art.  If you’re local, don’t miss it!  The show will run through May 20, open every day except Mondays, so you have no excuse for not dropping by.

Today our interview is with artist Krissy Downing, who you can find in Green 8E01 (this loosely translates as Green line, 8th floor, "room" E01 although I understand the 8th floor has no rooms per se.  There will be help to find rooms once you get there.  It makes much more sense when you start following the actual green, blue, yellow and red lines along the walls – and yes, they’re names after the Metro lines).

Describe your artistic process and how you came to your current art style.

My Mom enjoys recounting the story of two-year-old me getting my grubby little hands on an indelible marker and "redecorating" my aunt’s newly-remodeled bathroom.  Bunnies with belly-buttons were my theme of choice at the time.  Oddly enough I was encouraged to keep up the trade, but the grown-ups made sure to keep me stocked in paper and washable markers.  There is a great deal of my absurd sense of humor evident in my work today.  I think of myself as a purveyor of figments.  My painter’s motto has always been:  "Master the process of convincingly depicting reality, and convincingly depicting unreality will then become second nature."

What/who are your artistic inspirations?

I give 99% of the credit for my ridiculously cultivated imagination to my parents, who not only just let me b me, but also supported the me-bing of me emphatically.  I am inspired by the work of Greg Simkins, Michael Hussar, Mark Ryden, and Scott Altmann (among others), but more so I am inspired by the vivid, surreal interweavings of dreams.

Why did you choose to show in ArtOMatic?

I am very excited and eager to meet other artists?  I think I tend to fall into the stereotypical pit of becoming more antisocial and hermit-like the more immersed I become in my own art.  ArtOMatic is my attempt to fight this!  I am wholly looking forward to just being a part of a project that so many people are so very passionate about.

Where else can people find your work?

This will be my very first gallery show in all of history!  Therefore, at the moment, people would have to come over to my digs (and hopefully not be allergic to kittens! in order to see the stuff close-up.  Otherwise, I exist here and on mySpace in cyberland.

Are you a full time artist?

I love to argue the semantics of this topic.  Honestly (maybe surprisingly), I have always considered myself a full-time musician (I am a composer and violinist as well).  I do get paid by "the man" to be artsy, yes.

Do you have any tips for artists out there?

Don’t give a flying pile of penguin poop what people think.  Simply create what you like to create.  Evolve in your own way, at your own pace.

Anything else you’d like to add?

I will also be performing with my bank, American Sinner [at ArtOMatic].  We have requested to perform "the Electric Stage" on April 28th, but this has not yet been confirmed.  I play an electric 5-string violin.

Here are two more of Krissy’s work:  Silly Blue, and  Ball Feet

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In case you can’t tell, corresponding with Krissy is opening to email with a ton of energy pouring out – you have to go visit her mySpace.

Am off to work at my other hat, Executive Director of the Port Tobacco River Conservancy.  Am starting to meet all the main folks – it’s great for community building, and these folks have built quite the amazing community around saving the Port Tobacco River (In Charles County, MD).  I am really please to be able to be a part of this organization!

thought for the day:  Hold it.  Stop right there.  you with those casually cruel perceptions of yourself.  If you want a ticket to the promised land, you’ll have to leave that ranting creativity killer at the gate.  you know, that advisor of treason that you call "reason."  Did you think you could do what you love in the same bruising way you did what you hated?  Sure you did….when the night is really dark, give yourself a lot of room.  Only trust calls down the moon.  Tama Kieves, This Time I Dance:  Trusting the Journey of Creating the Work You Love