08 Nov Behind the Scenes: Paint Process
Stacy Garcia, with roots in fine arts, gains inspiration from painting for her new collections. Stacy has been painting for years and uses it as a form of expression. When it comes to her artwork, there are no rules and there is certainly no lack of creativity and originality. We decided to go behind the scenes at the Stacy Garcia Design Studio to see Stacy in action.
We asked Stacy some follow up questions on her process.
What music did you/do you listen to?
When I paint I like to listen to music that makes me happy. Feel good music. Things like Tom Petty, Bob Dylan and other similar rock musicians. All I Wanna Do by Sheryl Crow is one of the songs. I have yet to enter my Blue period so happy music is my go-to.
How long does it take?
Paintings take anywhere from weeks to months. I normally have 2 going at once and move back and forth between the two while the paint layers are drying. It really depends on how much painting time I have and how busy I am.
How do you choose the colors?
Colors come from my mood and intuition. I pick them based on what I am feeling. From there I see what the balance of colors is, what works and what the composition feels like. There are no wrong answers in color.
What materials do you use? (Paint canvas etc.)
Primarily I use acrylic paint in my pieces, either on canvas or watercolor paper. I like working at a large scale and feel it works well with my process. I’ve tried smaller studies, but I still end up gravitating towards the larger canvases.
How do you come up with the ideas?
I’m influenced by a lot of pattern and many of my pieces are about that and texture, but my more recent paintings have been very go with the flow. From there I focus on the painting and looking to see what it needs, how to complement and balance it out. That’s what many of the paintings that inspired my recent collections are based on.
Where do you paint?
Sometimes I paint in the studio when it’s not too busy or if it’s too cold out, but for the most part I paint in my garage at home. One of the main elements is having good lighting. The studio has beautiful lighting, and when I’m working in my garage I open all the windows and doors to let the light in. This lets me get fresh air into the space and allows me to watch my kids coming in and out or playing outside. In there I have easels, a table to spread out all my paints or as a place to work flat if I need, an old couch from a trade show, and even some extra set ups for my daughter to come out and paint with me.
Do you have any snacks/drink you always have on hand?
Not really. I can go without food all day when I’m in the zone. All I need is good light and music and I am set.
What inspires you to paint?
Other artists inspire me, like the loose yet calculated style and bright colors of Maya Hayuk, and the beautiful work of my friend Paul Thomas. Another inspiration was a conversation I had with Paul about some of the art in his personal gallery. He showed me paintings by his mom and aunt and told me how having their work in his home makes him feel like they are there with him. This made me think of my kids and I thought it would be so amazing and important to have that for my children. I wanted to make sure I had art to leave to each one of them so they could have the same thing. That really jump started me to paint more.
How do you prep your station/things you have to do before you start painting?
I normally get ready by getting into my painting outfit. I have a set uniform I paint in. A pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and my Converse. The shirt I wear is actually a shirt that has my daughter’s hand prints on it that she made me for a gift, and when she sees me walking around in it before I go out she knows why and will ask me if we’re painting today. Other than that I lay out my paints, get the water for my brushes, tidy up the space, and make sure my phones charged to play my Pandora stations.
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