What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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8 WHAT'S UP! JULY 5-11, 2020 Meet The Makers LARA JO HIGHTOWER NWA Democrat-Gazette A rkansas — and many would argue the northwestern part of the state in particular — is a hotbed of artistic talent. In this week's Meet The Makers, we shine a spotlight on more of the folks who make up the creative, diverse heart of the state's art scene. Lisa Krannichfeld According to her bio, Lisa Krannichfeld "was born and raised in Little Rock in an interesting cultural mix of a Chinese family living in the American South. Her experiences growing up in these two intermixing cultures and their traditions have greatly influenced her work, which primarily focuses on the woman as its subject. Her expressive portraits refute the traditional portrayal of women being passive subjects to gaze upon, evident in their confrontational, and at times defiant, expressions. Breaking traditions further, Lisa often uses traditional Chinese ink and watercolor materials in a nontraditional uncontrolled, free-flowing way often mixed with unconventional materials. Lisa's work has been featured in numerous exhibitions and publications nationally and internationally including shows across the United States, Asia, Australia and Europe." Q: Please tell us a little bit about your work. What do you create? A: I am a figurative artist that creates paintings mostly of women. My paintings are composed of a lot of different materials including ink, watercolor, collage and resin. Q: When did you first start thinking of yourself as an artist/ creator/maker? What were some of the first things you remember creating? A: Does "always" count? I was a very creative kid and remember digging up the clay-rich Arkansas dirt to make little pottery bowls when I was very young. In high school, you never saw me not working on a drawing. However, I wasn't comfortable calling myself an "artist" until my mid-20s. Imposter syndrome runs deep in the creative world. Q: Where can we see/purchase your work? A: Locally you can see my work in person at M2 Gallery in downtown Little Rock. My portfolio, as well as prints and small originals, are available on my website at www.lisakrannichfeld. com. I also am represented by Fort Works Art Gallery in Fort Worth and Saatchi Art online. Q: What's your favorite part of the creative process? A: It's difficult to pick just one favorite part of the process since it involves so many steps and materials. However, if I had to pick one, it would be the first part, which is the ink and watercolor painting part of the process. I paint in a very free and spontaneous way, so it's like I am discovering the painting rather than controlling it. It's very therapeutic. Q: Have there been any responses to your art that you found particularly moving or memorable? A: On several occasions, I have found that my work has gotten beginning art enthusiasts really excited about art, which I find really rewarding. Whether they have been a viewer coming to their first art exhibition or a collector buying their first piece, it is awesome to be there at the beginning of a person's new relationship with art. Art is magical, and I hope to turn as many people onto its power as possible throughout my lifetime. Q: What is one tool in your studio you can't live without? A: I have this one watercolor brush that I had to buy for a class in college well over a decade ago. It is my absolute favorite brush. It is now pretty ratty, and I don't know what I'd do if it ever bit the dust. The handle is just bare wood because the coating and brand name has all flaked off, so I wouldn't even know what company makes it to replace it. Let's just hope it never dies! Q: Do you have any advice for a creative just starting out? A: My advice for beginning creatives is always the same: Make a lot of work. I think some creatives get so focused on achieving "success" as their main goal that they forget that it all starts with the work. You have to make good work first and that takes time and practice. You have to get through a lot of bad work before you get to the good stuff. Painter Lisa Krannichfeld, photographer Edward Robison III "Glass Ceiling" by Lisa Krannichfeld. Chinese ink, watercolor, acrylic, paper collage, cyanotype and resin. (Courtesy Image) "On the Scent" by Lisa Krannichfeld. Chinese ink, watercolor, acrylic, paper collage, cyanotype and resin. (Courtesy Image) FEATURE