Shop Talk in the Underground Gallery: Candice Hartsough

"I am inspired by simple shapes, the birds that visit my birdfeeder, the children that I meet, and the everlasting belief that animals and inanimate objects could talk to me if only I’d listen hard enough. Children’s books have always spoken directly to my heart, and, being a children’s illustrator myself, my work tends to look playful, peaceful, cheerful, and funny. While it is superficially lighthearted, it is usually underscored by larger, often malicious, plots against the children and animals portrayed. Soft colors and gentle shading cuddle next to angry birds and fleeting ghosts."

Candice graduated from The Herron School of Art and Design in 2005. She currently works as a freelance illustrator from her studio at the Harrison Center for the Arts. She also creates illustrated portraits of families and pets. For more information, visit www.candiharts.com.

Favorite interview, podcast, or book that you believe has been helpful to you in your studio.

I like to listen to the podcast Creative Pep Talk occasionally. I’ve gotten the most motivation and inspiration from taking online classes at makeartthatsells.com and participating in the corresponding facebook groups.

Shop Talk is a show to celebrate the newly renovated underground and the artists that are adjacent to it. While not exclusively a trait of the artists that share the underground, I feel that those of us who have our studios close to each other have informal, informative conversations.

I asked everyone to write a little about themselves, and to share a favorite interview, book, or podcast that they feel is useful while they work in the studio. While I think it is important for artists to get in the zone and to deeply engage in our work, I think it’s also important to identify the voices that give us some sense of our location in contemporary practice. I find myself looking for substantive conversations. I’m also amazed by how I try to get someone’s idea out of my head! Regardless, I’m grateful for the casual interactions I have with my neighbors, as it keeps me sharp and gives me a place to find my own voice.

-Nathan Foxton, Curator

This is the sixth in a series of seven.