1. Tell us a bit about yourself…

I was born and raised in Jakarta, Indonesia. I moved to the US in 1995 to attend the Academy of Art University, San Francisco. I studied Graphic Design and graduated in 2001. I have been doing graphic design professionally for 12+ years. I met my husband Eric Broers in 2008. He is an artist and has influenced me to focus on my art. I started showing in galleries and have collaborated with him since 2009.

 

2. Did you study art or are you self-taught?

Both. I took some foundation art classes in the first year of college. Graphic design has influenced my paintings tremendously. I learned about basic perspective and different paint mediums in art classes in high school. Since I was a child, I have been drawing and doodling women’s faces. All my text books and note books from elementary through high school were filled with faces. I was very much into experimenting with different mediums and learning to use them in my spare time. I also watch quite a bit of video tutorials for tips and techniques. I’m self taught in that sense but I have also learned a lot from school.

 

3. Do you think that there any advantages of being self-taught over being formally educated?

Yes. Having a sense of freedom and doing whatever you want to do without having to worry about doing it the right way is very liberating. Learning on my own has thought me discipline and patience. A sense of discovery and surprises is what makes it worth doing.

 

4. To you, what is the appeal of art?

For me, art is a creative expression of my inner self. When I’m painting, I live in that moment of creation and sort of become the subject of what I’m painting. It’s almost like an addiction, I have to paint almost everyday. Art brings me happiness.

 

 

5. For your recent series of work, you have created portraits of women using watercolour

paints. How did you arrive at this process from your previous work?

I have been working in acrylic for a while and I was at a point where I needed other challenges. I had some time between shows in January and decided to paint for myself. I started sketching daily with pencil on paper. Then I remembered that I had some watercolor that I haven’t used in a while. I was always a little timid with watercolor, but I always loved the look of it. It’s one of those mediums that can be forgiving but unforgiving at the same time. I picked that up and put colors on some of my pencil sketches. I had a lot of fun doing it and really like how it looked. Once I ran out of sketches to color, I started painting straight with watercolor on paper. I started with their faces first, then the hair and sometimes the torso. I fell in love with how expressive and unpredictable it is. Since then, I have done 2 -3 paintings a night for 2 months straight.

 

6. Have you ever hired a professional photographer to take reference images for you to paint

from? If not, would this be something you would consider doing and do you think that more

artists should do this?

No I have not. When I am painting, I work intuitively. This allows me to work without reference material. A fashion photographer contacted me to paint a couple of his photos for a self promo. This is something I would definitely consider on doing in the future. Collaborating with other forms of art will be beneficial for both parties.

 

7. What kind of music do you listen to and does it influence your work in any way?

I listen to a lot of classical, old jazz and electronic music. They influence me now more than ever. Painting with watercolor is almost like playing in a classical symphony or improvising in a jazz band.

 

8. Your husband, Eric Broers is also an artist. Do you collaborate often and are there any

downsides to being married to another artist?

Yes, our collaborated pieces have been in many galleries and murals around the city. Our style is very different, but for some reason it works together well. He does robotic & monster characters and when we collaborate – it is like a scene taken from a romantic scifi fantasy movie. We have a lot of fun collaborating and it’s something we can do together. I think being married to another artist is pretty awesome. We push and influence each other creatively. We evolve together and individually. We have the same interest and making something together is very important in our relationship.

 

9. What is your favourite images you have created and why?

My favorite thus far is a piece called “Jasmine”. She resembles a dream that I had recently. The scene was in black and white with a little bit of color. My face and skin were in gray scale but I was wearing a bright red traditional Chinese dress. I walked a quite distance through villages in China. I felt very calm and when I woke up, I had to paint how I felt. That is when “Jasmine” was created.

10. Who and what inspires your work?

What inspires my work are faces I see in my everyday life, the street, fashion magazines as well as old movies from the 20’s – 60’s. I love organic forms created by nature. My mom inspires me a lot too. Some of the faces I’ve done resembles her in some way. I think she’s my original muse. My husband Eric inspires me to keep doing what I’m doing and try to do it everyday no matter where I am.

 

11. What is your definition of the term “artist”? Should the word only be used to describe

people who paint or can photographers and fashion designers also be called artists?

To me an artist is someone who creates and express them self through their creations. And yes, I think photographers and fashion designers are also artists.

 

12. For you, what makes a good image?

I think what makes a good image is great composition and subject matter.

 

13. How do you market yourself and your work?

I show in galleries, cafes, boutique stores and I also post my daily paintings on Instagram and facebook.

 

14. Why do you think that people decide to buy prints of artist’s work when they possibly

download the images digitally for free?

I think most people respect the art that they like and the artist behind it and they want to support the art community by doing so. I hope this will continue to be the case.

 

15. Are there any certain qualities you need to become an artist?

Discipline, creativity and willingness to immerse into the unpredictable world of art. Being open to ideas. Be confident yet humble.

 

16. Can anyone be an artist?

I would say yes and no at the same time. Being an artist can come from talent and/or from training and constant practice. One can have amazing talent but if they don’t use it or don’t put it into practice, then it can fade. One who loves art but claims they can only draw “stick figures” can be an artist if they learn and practice.

 

17. How do you determine the value of your work?

I determine the value based on size, complexity as well as the subject matter.

 

18. What do you think the future holds for art, especially with the advances in technology and software such as Photoshop?

I see the advances in technology and software as a tool to help the advancement in digital art. I support the advancement in technology but I think technology can’t really replace something that is created by hand.

 

19. Do you have any advice for aspiring artists?

I think like everyone else, keep on creating. As long as you are still passionate and enjoy doing your art, don’t stop. If you ever feel uninspired…don’t give up, go to museums, visit the galleries, talk to other artists, try different mediums or watch movies. You will feel refreshed and ready to create again.