An interview taken from our June Issue. In this special issue, we wanted to give light to artists, especially illustrators and painters, to know how to quarantine time affected their lives and their process. We wanted to showcase a different story, different arts to give a voice and platform for these creators.
KALTBLUT: It’s been almost 2 months since self-isolation has been enforced worldwide, how are you feeling?
Postitpals: I feel good. I usually always feel good. I’m somewhat optimistic about the future and grateful that I’m able to paint and still continue making art during this time.
KALTBLUT: What have you been doing to pass your time in quarantine?
Postitpals: I had been living in New York when the outbreak hit its peak. Things were getting a little too hairy for me so I decided to head home to be with my family in California. I spent 2 weeks self-isolated thinking about how to manoeuvre my career as an artist during this unique time when it seems the last thing on anybody’s mind is art. Ultimately I came up with a pretty simple decision: continue doing what I had always been doing. Not to slow down the painting, not to take a break, but to just keep on chugging along like I was in New York.
KALTBLUT: How has the situation affected your work?
Postitpals: So as I mentioned earlier, I was living in New York when this all started. I had actually moved to New York in January after deciding to make art my full-time pursuit. So there I was, being an “artist” in the big city. I had leased studio space in Brooklyn and was fully immersing my self with the art culture of New York. I was using my time in NY to develop my skills and fine-tune my style as a painter, the current medium I am making art with. Once the lockdown orders in March hit, all of that went out the window. My supply stores closed, studio visits were impossible, and riding the subway to get essentials every week was not something I intended to do. Not to mention, I was also living in my art studio at the time which shared a communal bathroom. My situation was not ideal, to say the least. I tried to ride out the storm for as long as I could, but ultimately I pulled the plug and moved back home to my parents’ house – a place I had not lived in since I moved out for college 6 years ago.
Fortunately, my parents were happy to have me (once my self-quarantine ended) and I set up shop in their garage. I get my supplies mailed to me and it’s almost like I never left New York. I’m producing a steady amount of work and am very thankful for that.
Contact
Instagram: @postitpals
Read the full interview here:
