— The featured artist of the 75th issue of Living the Photo Artistic Life magazine is California-based AWAKE artist Cathy Labudak. It’s wonderful to be able to interview Cathy here on Quill and Camera . . .
Q: What got you started in Digital Photo Artistry?
I have been creating art since I was a very young child. I was mostly self taught, skilled in creating pencil renderings, and even commissioned for portrait work from time to time. I dabbled in acrylic painting and watercolors and was very successful at using those techniques to reproduce what I was copying. Though the key word there is “copying.” Back then I had the motor skills down but I lacked imagination to create original artwork or my own. Which was very frustrating for me.
I knew that becoming a commercial artist would be really cool, but I felt that it was too risky as a career because of my lack of imagination. So I chose medical imaging as a profession instead. Creating X-rays and CT and MRI images of the human body filled my need to make a difference in the world.
Years ago I began learning Photoshop in order to create photography books of my world travels. I learned the basics about Photoshop from internet tutorials and I soon discovered that Photoshop could also be used to make the type of sophisticated, intricate artwork that I had always wanted to create. I fell in love with it!
For the first time, my creativity kicked in and I started experimenting and exploring Photoshop in earnest. I discovered that I could create art that was virtually impossible for me to create using traditional methods — and I could create it so much faster! I was hooked! I joined the Flickr community in 2007 and began to be inspired by wonderful artwork and photography from all over the world.
Eventually I decided that I needed a well-crafted program that would begin to transform my work into fine art, and I signed on to the “Living the Photo Artistic Life” courses. Since then I have learned so much in such a very short time (and I still have a lot more tutorials to work through!) What’s more, the teaching is made complete by being connected to the private community of AWAKE artists, who continue to inspire me every day on Facebook.
Q: What would you say most inspires your work?
Three things. Other people’s artwork, being exposed to different art styles, and thematic monthly challenges within Flickr art groups.
I also love browsing the internet for images to use in my projects, and many times the various unrelated photos that I see along the way will inspire another project to pursue at a later date. Those random inspirations are always jotted down in my journal for any future dry spells that might come my way.
Sometimes I come up with an idea inspired by the work of another artist or photographer. My inspiration is often an offshoot of something that has caught my eye or is sparked by a different take on the same theme. Many times I find I’m using a theme or a short quotation as the jumping off point in creating my artwork.
But honestly, I’m like a kid in a candy store when it comes to creating my art. I am always finding and trying new styles or new methods to learn different techniques. Having a set “style” doesn’t fit me yet because I’m still learning so much. Each idea that I have has its own unique way of becoming art, whether it’s realistic, abstract, or surreal. And that selection of genre is extremely important to make the idea blossom into something special that’s uniquely “me.”
Q: What does living a photo artistic life mean to you?
I have discovered that my calling in life is to create artwork that evokes some sort of an emotional reaction. I strive to balance some of the negativity in life by creating a light-hearted, quirky, and make-believe world that allows the viewer a small respite from the sometimes suckiness of life. This is who I am as an artist and who I was meant to be. And to be the best that I can be, I immerse myself daily in creating art, learning new techniques, and being inspired by others. Creating art is truly a labor of love for me.
And being a Christian, I feel that God has given me this time and talent to be His hands to reach out and bless others. This is why I want to continue to sell my work and use 100% of the proceeds to help support charities in my city: I have great compassion for unwed mothers and also for women and children escaping a violent environment. I want to make a difference in their world and maybe even change it for the better, one person at a time.
Q: How do you approach your work?
After I have an idea or theme to run with, I begin by diving into my stash of photos or free-to-use images on the internet to choose exactly what I need for my piece. I then place each element on a layer and begin to slide them into place . . .
As the piece begins to come together, I’ll begin to add any additional elements that might be needed to create more interest or help with my story line. As I do so, I always try to take the time to enlarge each element in a layer so I can remove any fringing and make sure that all elements are consistent in their sharpness and noise.
Oddly enough, my background is usually the last thing I’ll put in place. Only with the main content arranged will I turn to bringing in the images necessary to give the background some interest.
Once I’m happy with everything, I fine tune each layer with various layer styles, gradients, or color overlays to pull the canvas together as a whole. And my final layers are always color corrections and textures to bring all of the elements together into one cohesive piece.
Q: Any advice or tips for other aspiring digital artists?
Immerse yourself in creating art every day, even if that time you spend immersed is only a quarter of an hour. And strive to learn something new every week, even if what you’re learning is something simple or small.
And while learning, continually look to other artists for inspiration. Pore over great photographs on the internet. Explore artwork not only in the genre you’re most familiar with, but across all sorts of different genres and styles.
And don’t be afraid to step out and take some risks. It’s worth it! I started my journey with normal expectations and no real goals. I am now showing my work in a gallery, selling my artwork on the internet, and investing in others’ lives. And I have the freedom and ability to pursue my purpose in life while continuing to mature as an artist.
Where this all goes, only God knows! I just know that I will always keep learning, experimenting, and growing.
And if I had to give any advice, that’s what I’d always come back to:
Keep learning. Keep experimenting. Keep growing.
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