Three by Three: Guest Artists in Focus
QUESTION 3. Color in your work is bold, surprising, and emotionally charged. What guides your decision to introduce vivid splashes or multicolored tears into otherwise classical compositions?
ANSWER 3. I’ve always been someone who enjoys bold and vivid colours in my clothing and home decor, and with my health stopping me from wearing those bold colours in public as I used to, I use my art to still be able to express myself publicly in that way.
Stacey Morgan
Digital Illustrator
MEDIUM: Procreate
BIO: Art for me is a form of therapy. As I live with many chronic illnesses, creating pieces helps me to fixate more on the creative process rather than inhabiting my body. I’m so focused on trying to bring the portrait alive in a way that expresses my personality and the ways I can see the subject, that I’m not thinking of the pain I feel or the monotony of the same constant surroundings, whilst also quieting the constant noise in my head.
I feel society has to follow so many rules that dampen our spirit, it makes everyone feel muted and like carbon copies of each other. My art and lifestyle reflects a way of breaking free from those barriers always surrounding us.
INSTAGRAM: @The.Thick.N.Sick.Chick
QUESTION 2. Your stylized portraits often feature oversized eyes, fractured facial planes, or drifting embellishments. What draws you to these playful distortions as a way to reinvent traditional portraiture?
ANSWER 2. With my surreal pieces, I like to think I have evolved over time with influences such as Frida Kahlo. I found her inspiring in how she could create a new fictional world to compensate for the lonely stretches of her reality. I find muted basic tones next to bold colours, or using a mix of clashing techniques in close proximity, gives great contrast and highlights the difference between them, making each one stand out that much more. Kind of showing that, whilst they are polar opposites to each other, they can still work together to make a cohesive finished portrait. Both can exist simultaneously. I often draw focus to eyes as I believe they can express so many emotions without needing the rest of the facial features to tell a story; they are storytellers in their own right.
QUESTION 1. After moving from physical media to Procreate, how has the freedom from storing tangible work reshaped your sense of creative momentum and possibility?
ANSWER 1. I moved away from physical art a while back because I’d hate to see my artwork that felt like my babies, with all the love and care I put into them, gathering dust and taking up space. So much so, it stopped me creating altogether. But back last year, I decided to try my hand at procreate. It took a while to get to grips with, but I’m glad I kept at it. I’ve spent since then trying to find my own style. I like to add a twist to classic portraits with a pop of colour or a different style within a style which seems to give more of an impact to it. I use art to escape, forget the mundane, forget the normative rules, and just get lost in creativity.
I See an Ant Invasion
Untitled. Inspiration image from Pinterest; artist unknown.
Don't Sweat the Small Stuff
All copyright and reproduction rights are reserved by Stacey Morgan.
Artwork may not be reproduced in any form without the artist's express written permission.
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