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| Dust to Dawn; All images are courtesy of the artist. |
Sarah Heuninck
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| Sarah Heuninck |
My painting practice explores ideas of transformation, ecological changes and processes, and the nature and behaviors of materials found in our environments. I work with diluted powder pigments, pouring them over canvas to create a layering of ambiguous forms dusted with sediment. Some of these pigments I make from locally sourced materials that have washed up on the shorelines of Detroit, including bricks, asphalt, soil and glass. By intentionally weathering and crushing these materials I am investigating their temporality and mimicking the sorts of deterioration that were already at play in nature.
I am interested in humanity’s relationship to the Earth, the materials we have introduced into our environments, and the dichotomy between the natural and the manufactured worlds. One world impacts the other and the two collide, meld and respond to one another. In this nature I approach my work, dancing a line between control and chance, where I am allowing the materials to act freely and deciding when and where to respond or interrupt them. The imagery that results bounces between the micro and the macro, and is resemblant of sublime landscapes, environmental erosion, and the metamorphosis of worlds.
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Sarah - I'm so glad to have this opportunity to chat about your art. I've been watching for some time and am continually amazed with your work. It's as if nature is at home on your canvas.
What do you love about making art?
Making art is where I feel my most authentic self. When I'm not working on something it feels like something is missing from my life. I like problem solving and being surprised by my experiments.Which mediums do you like working with the most? What are some of the more unusual ones you've used?
I fell in love with working with crushed pigments and making my own pigments from found materials. Asphalt is probably the most unusual medium I've worked with.
"There is a balance between allowing the pigments to act freely and manipulating them myself." - S.H.
What do you love about that?
I love the process of sourcing materials, seeking materials that will produce vibrant colors. And I love the process of pouring diluted pigments over canvas and watching the worlds they create.
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| Life on Mars |
How do you evaluate your work?
My work is very intuitive. There is a balance between allowing the pigments to act freely and manipulating them myself. Sometimes it's hard to say when a piece is finished. There's a fine line between not enough and too much. Sometimes if there's too much going on though, all it needs is more to bring it back into balance.
Where is your studio, and what is your primary work area?
My studio is in my garage in Detroit, [MI].
What clues or questions do you use to select an idea to invest time and resources?
Right now my interest is in creating pigments and dyes from organic materials. I invest my time and resources into studying and experimenting with those.
About your work: what do you hope people notice the most?
I think each person might notice something different. I think that the beauty of art is that it's open to individual interpretation.
What is your favorite guilty pleasure?
My favorite guilty pleasure is napping in the studio.
How do you define success as a creative? How do you hold yourself accountable?
I think success as a creative person can be defined by a number of avenues. You can seek financial success if you're selling work, you can seek success within your community if you're trying to build a network, or you can seek success of the soul if you simply just enjoy creating and that's enough for you.
When do you discuss things with your inner critic?
My inner critic is always on the job. Sometimes it'd be nice to shut her off for a while. My work involves many layers and counteracting each layer with the next, so with each layer I'm critiquing the last and trying to make improvements.
What advice do you have about throwing away work?
Don't be afraid to throw away work. Not everything will be good work, and it's important to be able to let it go and make space for something new. Even if it's not "good" it contains a lesson and you can move forward from that.
What advice can you share for artists who want to sell their work {online}?
Social media has found many artists' great success. Become good at marketing yourself online.
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| Indigo River |
What would you tell other artists when they get frustrated with a project?
Walk away from it for a while. Work on something else and let it breathe. Come back to it with new eyes and a fresh mindset.
Who are your creative influences, and whose work are you admiring now?
I love abstract expressionist painters. That's where my work is currently circulating. Gisela Lazarte.
How can people follow you and your work?
What would you like people to know that I haven't asked?
Your practice should be fun. That's what this is all about. It should feed your soul and if it speaks to you and you keep working at it chances are it will speak to others as well.
I can't thank you enough for taking time out of your schedule to talk with me Sarah. I'm cheering for you. Please come back whenever you have something to share with the ChC audience!
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