Surelle Strike, Artist

 

Hello and welcome to the 68th 3 Art Questions With Jackson interview! This time I interviewed the super skilled painter Surelle Strike. I have admired her paintings since the first time I saw them at Artistry in Bloomington, MN. She keeps getting better at what she does and I am pleased that she agreed to be interviewed. I think that you will enjoy her answers! Thank you for reading! (All images courtesy of the artist / Instagram: @surelle.strike.art / Website: surellestrikeart.com)

Jackson: Do you feel like you were born as an artist? Or did something specific happen that put you on an artistic path?

Surelle: I suppose I was definitely born with the artist gene, when I was little I was always drawing or doodling. I remember one of the reasons I loved going to my grandparents' house was because they had a printer, and I was always allowed to help myself to as much printer paper as I wanted to draw on. I have always had a hard time thinking of myself as an artist though, thanks to that nasty Imposter Syndrome. Even today I have a hard time occasionally, even though making art is currently my full-time job! That change happened last fall, when I moved. I used to run an in-home childcare, and among other things, my new (130 year old) house was hard to get approved for licensing. I decided to take the leap into making art my career! Currently I paint, take commissions, and teach a lot of classes, being a full-time artist is a smorgasbord of different jobs.

Jackson: How did you become such a skillful painter? Are you self-taught or did you go to art school?

Surelle: I guess I'd say I'm a little of both. I took a handful of classes here and there, and still take workshops when I can. But much of the painting I do now has been self taught. I went to a small high school and didn't get to take as many art classes as I wanted, but in my senior year I took a drawing class at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Then I went to a semester of art school at the Columbus College of Art and Design in Ohio. I took a handful of fundamental classes, but decided after one semester to drop out of school. I got a big fat F in Color Theory, and for the longest time thought this was because I was "bad at color". I resigned myself to having to do art like graphite drawing, or photography. (Later I grew up and realized the more likely reason for me failing the class was the fact that it was 8am on a Monday morning, and I didn't show up as often as I should have...) In 2018 I took a leap out of my comfort zone and began painting...in black and white watercolor...eventually I decided it wouldn't hurt to try another color and I slowly began painting in color. I worked first with watercolor, then gouache, and in 2019 I gave acrylics a try, finally in 2023 I started using oil paints. All of this was a lot of trial and error on my own part, but I think learning on your own gives you a lot of confidence in your ability to problem solve, and come up with solutions for difficulties you'll encounter.

Jackson: If you could meet any artist living or dead, who would it be and why?

Surelle: An artist I'd love to meet is Alfonse Mucha. It's probably a really popular answer, but I love the way Mucha paints and draws women, I love their graceful hands and strong shoulders. The way he mixes illustration and reality, as well as his flowing fabrics and colors. As far as living painters, I'd love to meet Rebecca Leveille-Guay. She captures both feminine power and vulnerability, sometimes with a snarky sense of humor that I really appreciate. Her women are powerful and beautiful , and I am so in love with how she paints hands - something I love to paint myself!

Melissa Benedek, Artist

Hello and welcome to the 67th 3 Art Questions With Jackson interview! This time I interviewed the inspiring New York City based painter Melissa Benedek. We discovered each other on Instagram and I am a really big fan of her work and the colors she uses in her paintings. I believe you will really enjoy her answers! Thank you for reading! (All images courtesy of the artist / Instagram: @melissabenedek_art / Website: melissabenedek.com)

Jackson: Did you always want to be an artist? Or did something happen later in life that put you on this path?

Melissa: Art was something I was drawn to growing up. I was exposed to it at a young age, being my father owned an art gallery in Soho in New York City. It was my comfort, my outlet, my vice, it soothed me. I went to art school at a young age, but it was always more like a hobby. I painted for years but again as a hobby. When Covid happened I was stuck in my apartment in New York City and started to paint again. Timing is everything, and I am painting full-time now.

Jackson: How did you develop your style? How do you know when one of your paintings is right or complete?

Melissa: My style has been ever evolving. It has always been full of textures and movement. I am drawn to beautiful color palettes and am considered a colorist. I am an intuitive painter, so when I paint, there is no plan. I pick my color palette and am led by the music that fills my studio, I paint from within. I take breaks to observe it for a while. After staring at it throughout the day, I see what needs to be added or changed and continue until completion.

Jackson: If you could meet any artist living or dead, who would it be and why?

Melissa: That's a tough question. I'm fascinated by a few different artists, and they are all so very different. Definitely Cy Twombly, Willem de Kooning, Jackson Pollock, and Georgia O'Keefe. Each one of these artists have such a distinct style of painting, and are also relatable. I would love to get to know how their minds work and the type of personalities they are.