This week we are catching up with Patricia Vargas, an artist based in Chino, California whose abstract creations convey positivity and vibrance through her use of colors and shapes. A painter since the age of ten, Patricia is the founder of Parima Creative Studio. We're honored to be partnering with her and showing her work on Sugarlift!
LIVES & WORKS IN Chino, CA
OCCUPATION Artist
ON THE CLOCK Wake up a 6am, walk the dog, work out, work at home office, answer emails, fulfill orders, update shops, post on social media, and, if I'm lucky that day, I will spend some time painting/creating.
YOUR ART WEEKEND Never ending job of cleaning and organizing the studio.
ALBUM Lioness: Hidden Treasures by Amy Winehouse
FILM Jurassic Park
ARTIST Claire Elsaesser, Kirsten Sims, Cindy Press
BOOK Currently reading "Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald" by Therese Anne Fowler and "Anna Karenina" by Leo Tolstoy.
EATS Mexican street tacos!
LATEST PURCHASE Groceries
GUILTY PLEASURE Re-runs of Downton Abbey.
GRADE IN ART CLASS A
36 HOURS Paint, go for a walk, visit friends.
We’re picking up pretty good vibes from your paintings and from your portfolio overall -- what inspires you and how does that impact you studio work?
There are several things that inspire me and as an artist I think it's in my nature to always be aware of my surroundings. Everything that I see and hear has a collective effect on my work.
Currently I am really inspired by nature, particularly flowers and plants with interesting colors and patterns. One of my favorite things to do is to explore the many gardens here in Southern California. I just recently visited the Descanso Gardens near Pasadena and they had this beautiful green succulent that I had never seen before. It had thin white lines going up it leaves that made it look like they were drawn in. It almost looked like green marbled stone.
I am also inspired by interior design. My favorites being eclectic and bright clean design. A well designed space incorporates texture, color, and pattern to create an environment where the visitor feels the energy of the room. This is something that I try to achieve in my paintings.
That being said, I don't have very much decor in my studio, it is mostly plain white with a few plants here and there. I like to take in what I have seen and let the ideas slowly develop. I feel that if my studio was filled with color it would distract me from what I was trying to create.
Who are some of your biggest influences either in art history or today?
In college we had to do a project where we picked an artist and tried to copy their style to better understand their thought process. I chose the artist Beatriz Milhaze. We had similar color palettes and I was intrigued at the thought of creating non-figurative pieces. Before discovering her work I was mainly painting water and landscape with overly saturated bright colors, and while I loved it I felt like something was missing. Then I started working on the project and felt an immediate connection with creating abstract art. I think it had to do with the fact that I have never been very good at drawing and felt limited to what I could create, and abstract gave me a sense of creative freedom.
As far as artist from history I greatly admire the works from Monet, Rothko, De Kooning, and Matisse.
Can you talk a little about your process -- when you’re thinking about the next paintings, how do you dream up the next composition?
For me the actual creating process is sporadic. I can't paint everyday. I've tried and it usually leads to me feeling burnt out. I typically go through periods of intense creativity. I will spend several consecutive days cranking out one painting after the other until I can't anymore. Then I take a week or two off. Unless I am being commissioned, that's a different story.
While I am painting I try not to think about anything other than what I am creating at that moment. I might have some soft instrumental music playing in the background to help get my creativity flowing, but I mostly paint in complete silence, or I may have a picture up on my board that initially gave me the inspiration to paint. I also have several sketches on my iPad that I can rifle through when I am feeling stuck. Though for the most part I try to be solely present in my actions, letting each brushstroke determine the next and using this time to practice gratitude.
