Artist Interview With Lori Ramotar
Our Artist Interview Today Is With Lori Ramotar From Port St. Lucie, Florida
Whopple: How long have you been an artist?
Lori: My love affair with art began the first time I held a crayon in my hand. In high school, I began concentrating on painting, and my love for creating grew stronger. If you would have asked me what I wanted to be when I was in kindergarten, I would have answered “artist” before you could finish the question.
Whopple: Tell us about your first attempts to be creative.
Lori: I am sure my family has plenty of stories on my first creative attempts. A few of my favorites include drawing Noah’s Ark (and as many animals as I could before being caught) on the laundry room wall, making a giant pair of butterfly wings and running around the front yard with them attached to my back, and drawing purposely unflattering portraits of my older sister’s boyfriends.
Whopple: Do you make a living with your art?
Lori: I have had other jobs on and off since finishing college, but am currently focusing on my artwork full time. When the economy plummets, I can’t be fired or laid off by myself. It’s also cheaper than therapy!
Whopple: How many hours a day do you create?
Lori: It really depends on the project and the amount of time I have spent doing the non-creative business part of my job each day. I’ve been known to paint for 6 hrs. straight, or get an idea for an illustration at 11pm and stay up
until 2 am working on it. I often lose track of time when I am creating. I
have a difficult time walking away from an in-progress piece. I really need
to be in the mood to create, and sometimes I worry that if I stop working on
a piece today, I may feel as excited about it the next day.
Whopple: How did you pick your creative medium?
Lori: I use a variety of mediums in my work. My paint is always acrylic, and though I’ve used oils before, I prefer acrylic because it dries much faster
and is much easier to clean up. I also use paper collage, colored pencils,
and ink. I love using texture, pattern, and layers in my work. I’ve always
leaned towards 2D work, with the exception of my jewelry designs. The only
art class I didn’t get an A in during college was ceramics. I’ve never been
so frustrated before!
Whopple: What are your inspirations?
Lori: I enjoy finding interesting quotes or musical lyrics and using them as
inspiration. There are so many ways I am inspired that I often keep a small
notebook with me to write down my ideas. My favorite magazine, Somerset
Studio, sends me into a creative frenzy each time a new issue lands in my
hands. I often get ideas looking at fabric designs, vintage ads, scrapbook
paper, and nature.
Whopple: How do you recharge when your creativity hits the wall?
Lori: When my creativity hits the wall, I often find that it is because of my
emotions. I can never create angry, and when I am feeling down, I may doubt my talents. To recover, I find that learning something new, doing something nice for someone else, taking a nap, and of course…partaking of some chocolate usually brightens my mood and gets me back on track.
Whopple: What was your first job?
Lori: My first job was working for a hardware store. I was a cashier and a key cutter. It wasn’t my first choice, but at least I learned my nuts from my
bolts!
Whopple: What are your favorite snacks when you are creating?
Lori: My creative snack fuel usually consists of Dr. Pepper, Cheez-It crackers, and dark chocolate Dove bars. As you can see, I’m a total health nut!
Whopple: What gives you hope in the world?
Lori: My religious faith gives me hope in the world.
Whopple: What do you wish you could do?
Lori: I have a constantly growing list of things I wish I could do. I would love to use my skills to design fabric, home accessories, or illustrate a book. I would also enjoy owning a brick & mortar store from which to sell my artwork and jewelry. I would, of course, have to sell cupcakes too. I am obsessed with cupcakes.
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Whopple: What are your artistic goals?
Lori: My artistic goal is to never stop learning and improving my abilities. I want to try new techniques. I hope to get my artwork into galleries and
become well known.
Whopple: What has been your most exciting moment as an artist?
Lori: I’ve recently been asked to share my metalwork jewelry in a soon to be published book, and have had galleries contact me about my jewelry and
paintings. Whenever someone new shows interest in my work, a little spark
ignites inside of me and pushes me to not give up.
To See More Of Lori’s Art Please Click The Following:
http://www.artworkbylori.etsy.com
http://www.theroyalbead.etsy.com
http://www.kittiesandcupcakes.blogspot.com
These Interviews With Artists Are Copyrighted To Whopple.com.
One Response to Artist Interview With Lori Ramotar
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Quite an inspiring interview indeed! Art is one of the countless stuffs I am mostly interested about. Like Lori, I began to have my creative inclination back when I was a kid when I used to top class because of my out-of-the-box art projects. That passion within me even grew strongly as the years gone by. But lately, the non-creative aspects of my life got me really busy causing me to detach myself from what I formerly love doing. Having read this article not only made me want to get back to creating art once again but has given me a whole new perspective of how to deal with it the next time.