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10 Questions with Painter, A.J. Oishiby Audrey P. CroneA stay-at-home mom from Columbus, OH, turned painter. A.J. Oishi had her first art show in October 2007 in San Franciso Open Studios. Her recent showing was at the Columbus Arts Festival. Inspired by Pointillism, an artist with no formal Fine Arts background manages to beautify compositions with circle shapes. The titles of many of her paintings are Asian themed. Tell me about your paintings. Is there a message for your audience or is it purely visual? My paintings are done using the eraser side of a #2 pencil. I literally dip the eraser in acrylic paint and depending on the consistency of the paint, and the pressure applied to the canvas, I am able to create a "dot". All of my paintings are driven by color and emotion. Prior to starting a painting, I envision a combination of colors that evokes a particular feeling in me. As the piece progresses, my challenge is to maintain that vision by mixing and choosing the right colors, and ultimately translating my emotion to the viewer. Do you only paint on canvas, or do you use other materials? I paint on canvas only. I like the smooth, finished surface of a new canvas. It has just the right texture that allows my "dots" to be uniform and consistent. I'm sure other materials and mediums will be in my future. 
You use circles in most of your paintings that you will be showing at the Columbus Arts festivals, is there a reason for this? Circles give me a sense of peace.... especially many together, and many balanced on a canvas. I started playing around with compasses a while back, and I loved the ability to measure and accurately design a piece that was consistent (the type-A side of me). I also do gradation pieces where I move from one color to another. These have been nice challenges in mixing color and technique in order to create a seamless transition from one color to the next. You've had some of your works shown in a couple galleries, but the Columbus Arts festival is your first arts festival. Why an arts festival? My first public show was The 2007 San Francisco Open Studios. It was a very successful event,that opened up many opportunites in the Bay Area. Now that Columbus is my home, I wanted to participate in the local community. I applied for the Columbus Arts Festival on a whim, and to my surprise I was accepted. It was a huge learning experience and I had a ton of fun. Now, you have two little children, how do you find the time to paint? I made a pact with myself and my husband that my painting wouldn't take time away from our two girls who are 2 and 5 years old. As a stay-at-home mom, the majority of painting happens after bedtime. Needless to say, I don't get as much sleep as I used to. 
You've mentioned that while working as a project manager for a corporate furniture firm you were inspired, but is there an art/architecture/design movement or period that inspires you the most? My job as a project manager at a furniture dealer allowed me to work with top designers and architects in San Francisco. Their ability to create a beautiful surrounding was always inspiring. Their vision allowed me to work with amazing textiles, furniture, upholsterys, and art, all within amazing buildings and interiors. Although I worked with many different styles of design (from traditional to contemporary), the modern design movement inspires me the most. I love the furniture from that period, as well as the simplicity of design that creates such a clean, fresh look and feeling. Where else do you find inspiration? Upholstery, carpet, wallpaper, clothing, tile, paint chips, and clothing inspire me. Whether I am walking down the steet or through a mall, or looking through magazines, I find inspiration in everything that has interesting shapes and color combinations. What artist/architect/designer do you feel connected to? I think I feel most connected to other artists that do Pointillism. There is a Japanese artist, Yayoi Kusamo that started dotting at 10 years old. Her stuff is fixating. Another artist is Bridget Riley. She started out with dots early on too, and later moved into contrasting colors and movement. Her work is so precise and clean. I love it. 
Do you ever have a creative bloc and if so, how do you
get yourself out of it?
I find that I have a lot of ideas and colors that I look forward to painting. I attribute that to my journals and sketchbooks that I continually add new ideas and inspiration to. That being said, because my work is so driven by color, I do have an ability to do a simple design over and over again in countless color combinations. This helps keep the creativity flowing. I often get a bloc when I am needing to choose the next color on a piece. With my "dots" I have to get it right, or the texture of the canvas changes. I will typically walk away from the project and move on to another. This usually allows me to come back with a clearer vision of what the painting needs. What will we be expecting to see in your future work? I think you will start to see more abstract designs in my work. Not necesarilly moving away from measurement and balance, but finding a new way to create the same emotion. I also think my colors will continue to mature, allowing me to take more risk on my choices. |
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