'Artists can ignite the imagination and show a different way of looking at things, a unique perspective and transform the mundane. They can show you the world through their eyes where the imagination has no limits besides those self-imposed!'
Donna Bates is an artist working from her studio in California. After a successful career in commercial illustration, Donna has turned her focus on painting, her work has been exhibited in the USA and published in international magazines. Her work has been described as ‘tough-chic and edgy’, in a case of art reflecting life! Please enjoy the work of the dynamic Donna Bates!
Where is your current studio? What would be your dream studio?
I live in Los Angeles; CA and my studio is my apartment. I love older buildings and am not a fan of the generic boxes which seem to be all that gets built these days! So, my dream studio would be in an old Italian or French villa with crazy high vaulted ceilings, large arched windows, a great view and with beautiful moldings, unique architectural elements and checkerboard tile floors. A girl can dream!
Do you prefer to work in silence or does certain music inspire you?
Lol! I binge watch TV! I grew up with the TV as my babysitter and always drew when I was watching. I consider myself a multitasker. The shows must be somewhat easy to follow and no subtitles, to be able to paint and watch. I like the noise and it makes me feel that I am not missing out on anything while I paint in isolation. It keeps me engaged.
Studio life can lead to isolation, how do you address this/ keep a balance?
Well before the Covid-19 Lockdown, I used to really enjoy going out with my friends to Art openings and seeing art and meeting other artists! Since the lockdown, I do think that social media has really helped me stay connected and motivates me to paint more paintings and get that feedback. Of course, the other thing is exercise. Although I have not done it in a few months due to some knee problems, I have been an avid runner. I find it clears my head and spurns new ideas. I also have Bow-Flex dialable dumbbell weights and do free weight training plus throw in a little Yoga and stretching.
What is your favourite/ least favourite part of the creative process?
Favorites: Well, lately I have started with underpaintings, so I would say that first day I start blocking in the underpainting. That is the first time I really start to see where it is going. Of course, there are little special touches as you progress through the painting and that really help turn the form and spark ideas I didn’t even think of. Finally, when it is finished, and I sign my name on it.
Least Favorite: Addressing or fixing those little nitpicky areas that aren’t fun and become tedious. Prepping panels. Also, I use a lot of brushes, so washing and cleaning brushes is a drag!
Do you have a personal mantra or quote which serves to motivate you?
Keep moving forward.
Describe an obstacle you have faced and how did you overcome it.
I am 73, so the list is way too long to revisit.
Nature versus nurture- do you believe you have inherited abilities from creative parents, do you have creative siblings? Can you identify environmental factors or influences which led to your choices or directions?
Possibly, but my Grandparents on my Mothers side were both dead when I was a child. On my fathers’ side I am told my grandmother was creative, but I hardly knew her. My Mother did some drawing classes when I was a young and I always thought they were pretty good, but she did not pursue it. I grew up in an extremely conservative part of California called Orange County or behind the Orange Curtain as we used to say. So clearly I was the rebel in the family and moved to Hollywood when I was 21 and never looked back!
Is there something you regard as essential to your preparation or process?
Yes, usually I have a general idea of what I want a series of paintings to be about and that is the basis for the photoshoot I set up with a model or models. I try not to be too married to the original concept and go with the photos that really stand out or grab me. From there, I use Photoshop and play around with the composition, lighting, modes and lately have been adding several graphic elements to my work. I use these crude Photoshop comps as what I call rough roadmaps for my paintings. Of course, the other thing that is essential is the prepping of the panels! I have been painting on Dibond or AlumaComp now for over 4 years. I prepare these with five to six coats of Gesso and sanding in between. I let each coat try 24 hours, so it takes a little under a week for each panel. That is why I try to prep a few at a time.
How does your work respond to social trends?
I like to think that I am known for my own mash-up style of urban, tough-chic edgy strong independent women and men. My subjects are not pin-ups nor portraits, they are a different vision of power and sex flavored with leather, metal, graffiti, sunglasses, social commentary and fantasy! Some of my paintings under quarantine have spoken to the fact that it is time to do some soul searching and refocus on what is important or take this chance to look deeper. A lot of my paintings have been about women’s rights, I have tried to portray a modern independent woman that is not one dimensional but is pulled in many directions. Trying to reconcile expectations of traditional women’s roles with today’s realities and her own goals, ambitions and doubts.
What do you hope to convey through your work?
I want to create figurative oil paintings that have a fresh voice and scream 21st century. I have always been fascinated by people, their struggles and strengths, I guess that is why I love figurative art but feel it must be relevant to today! The kind of oil paintings I saw as a child were stodgy and stale and hung in musty rooms with lots of ticking clocks with chimes and crocheted doilies on the arm rests, I pretty much want to convey the opposite of that! I hope that my paintings shine a vibrant light onto my modern muses with a glimpse into their soul and mine.
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