Spring Break
Artist's painting process slow, methodic
Anna Nguyen
Issue date: 8/22/07 Section: Life & Style
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Sitting on the couch facing the window in her living room, junior art major Kristie Kvamme begins translating a sketch onto a white easel to begin her painting - her first time to pick up a paintbrush ever since her art classes have ceased for the summer break. She has a collection of sketches as a result of boredom or from inspirations derived from dreams or scenes of a story she has yet to write. This particular sketch is the latter.
The sketch, on unlined white paper is a simple drawing of three humans - a boy and two girls. The colors she uses as samples before beginning to paint are also plain and uncomplicated. The boy is wearing a white shirt and jeans; the girl he is conversing with is in a black dress; and the girl observing the exchange wears a red dress. The background, a colored-in blue, and the gray panel that the girl in red stands in front of symbolizes a wall, indicating that the other characters are unable to see her.
The sketch is to show ambiguity of a girl observing a conversation at a club, Kvamme said. "A girl thinks her boyfriend is cheating on her, but it might not be the case," she said, not specifying which girl is the victim. The painting is tentatively titled "Killer Curiosity," unless she thinks of a better title, she said.
Kvamme begins to draw the sketch onto the easel, making quick lines, and occasionally halting her movement to inspect the original attempt. For each character, she goes over the lines of their faces numerous times before moving to the detail of the fingers. As she sketches, her dog Yumi frequently comes by to the couch, interrupting her. Kvamme ushers her to leave, complaining of dog hair being everywhere.
"My [characters] are people kind of wandering the world, looking for something," Kvamme said, as she resumes sketching. Ironically, she hasn't been painting because she "can't think of anything [inspiring to paint] in Fayetteville," she said. She hopes to jumpstart on her inspiration when she leaves to study in Florence for the fall semester, she said. "My goal [when studying abroad] is to devote an hour each day painting."
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