Jennifer Choate - Painter
When did you know you wanted to be an artist?
I have loved art as long as I can remember. When I was little I spent many hours drawing and people and painting ceramics. With some artists in the family, I had a lot of exposure to different mediums and styles. Portraits are my favorite subject to focus on because, to me, they are the most diverse and beautiful.
Which of your works are you most proud of?
Out of all the works I have done I really like a few of the mixed media portraits that I have done at home. For these pieces I did not focus on technical perfection , but just the feeling of "no pressure" made me create some of the most fun and interesting pieces that are more important to me than any "graded" piece of technically good art.
What is the hardest part of being a professional artist?
The hardest part about being a professional artist is the intimidation of creating something new. I think it was easier being a young artist experimenting and having more time to make mistakes. Being a grown up with responsibilities really cuts down on the time and thought to put a piece together so just getting starting is a little scary sometimes.
What artists inspire you?
I am inspired by lots of influences but some artists that I really like are Mark Ryden and Andrew Loomis. Both do beautiful portrait work and have been a great influence on crafting my style of portraiture.