by Kris Hurst
Ignite Studio sat down for a Q&A with Maker-in-Residence, Eleanor Giron. Visit Ignite Studio May-August 2022 to meet her!
Elly is a Manila-based visual artist, who recently relocated to Indiana. She paints pieces of her life, creating a visual journal for her viewers to read. She offers her audience intimate glances of the struggles of a hopeless romantic, of pain, loss, and growth. Like her process, she is a work in progress, and she invites Ignite Studio patrons to take part in her journey.
Q&A with Maker-in-Residence, Eleanor Giron
IGNITE: What mediums do you work in and why?
GIRON: Working in oils is my favorite. I work with all paint types of paint (acrylic, watercolor, gouache, poster paint) because each medium will have a style and purpose that it is best suited for. I’m primarily a painter, but I strive to be multi-disciplined because different art forms inform each other and create a rich and diverse art practice.
IGNITE: Where do you draw artistic inspiration from?
GIRON: If I feel like traveling somewhere new, I’ll pick up my paintbrush and start working on a canvas. My mentor taught me how painting pictures is a way to map out the future. He showed me his “future paintings,” and “future journals.” They were paintings of his dreams. Most of the things he painted and wrote about happened, and art was a tool that helped them come true.
I gain inspiration from dreaming of the things I hope to do and places I want to see. I’ll paint myself with wings and planes in the background, because I want to fly and travel. I’ll paint myself as a seed because I want to grow. A boy I was in love with lived in Indianapolis, so I painted my portrait with the Monument Circle. We bought a house together last year.
IGNITE: Who are some of your favorite artists?
GIRON: At the top of my head, Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Soey Milk, Elmer Borlongan, Jenny Saville, Alyssa Monks, Marilyn Minter, Diane Arbus, and Sally Mann.
IGNITE: What is your favorite art tool/supply?
GIRON: Oil paint! Oil paint is so easy to blend and is so vibrant when you use the medium right. It has always been my medium of choice. My body is also my favorite art tool because it allows me to sing, dance, and paint. If we had no tools we can learn to sing and dance to create art.
Learn more about Eleanor Giron and register for her classes by visiting our event calendar. Happy Making!
