Artist of the Month November 2007

Ione Citrin

Los Angeles, CA

How and when did you start creating art?

AFTER A LIFELONG CAREER AS A VOICE-OVER AND ON CAMERA ACTRESS, I NEEDED TO FIND ANOTHER INTEREST WHICH WOULD SATISFY MY NEED FOR CREATIVITY. I’VE ALWAYS HAD AN ACTIVE IMAGINATION, IMAGES COME EASILY TO ME, SO IT WAS WONDERFUL WHEN I DISCOVERED THAT I COULD TRANSLATE THESE IMAGES FROM MY MIND’S EYE TO MY HAND, MY BRUSH AND THEN ON TO THE CANVAS OR ARMITURE.

What media and genres do you work in?

I WORK IN PRACTICALLY ALL MEDIUMS. I’M NEVER BORED. I GO FROM CLAY TO OIL TO ACRYLIC TO WATERCOLOR TO PASTEL TO ASSEMBLAGE AND COLLAGE. I ALSO HAVE BODIES OF WORK IN MANY GENRES, ABSTRACT, FIGURATIVE, PORTRAITURE, LANDSCAPE, STILL LIFE, AMERICAN INDIAN, AFRICAN, ETC. I USUALLY WORK ON 2 TO 3 PROJECTS AT A TIME, GOING FROM ONE TO THE OTHER IN VARIOUS STAGES OF PROGRESS. RIGHT NOW I’M WORKING ON AN ABSTRACT PAINTING, AN ABSTRACT WALL SCULPTURE AND AN IMPRESSIONISTIC STILL LIFE IN OIL.

Who or what are your influences?

I LOVE LOOKING/ADMIRING/ABSORBING ALL ART. EVERY IMAGE STIMULATES ME. I TUCK AWAY ALL DETAILS AND AM ABLE TO RECALL AND USE THEM WHEN NEEDED.

I LOVE BEAUTY IN ALL FORMS, AND WHAT COULD BE MORE DECORATIVE OR BEAUTIFUL THAN A GORGEOUS WOMAN? I WANTED TO DO A FIGURATIVE PIECE WITH A FEMALE AS A CENTERPIECE. I JUST STARTED PIECES TOGETHER VARIOUS PAPERS, TRANSFERS, I EVEN PAINTED PART OF THIS FIGURE IN OIL, (NOTICE HER ARMS), BUT FINISHED EVERYTHING OFF WITH A GIANT COLLAGE OF MATERIALS. THIS PIECE WON A GOLD MEDAL IN A NEILSON BAINBRIDGE ART COMPETITION JUDGED BY ROY DE FOREST.

Describe your creative process?

MY CREATIVE PROCESS COMES WITH A VISUALIZATION FOR A PARTICULAR PROJECT. I SEE WHAT I WANT TO DO IN MY MIND, AND THEN WITH VERY LITTLE PREPARATION, DIVE INTO IT. I WORK ON GUT REACTION, MY HAND FOLLOWS MY INSTINCTIVE NATURE.

What are you working on currently?

I’VE JUST FINISHED A NEW SERIES OF PAINTINGS IN THE SOUTHWEST/AMERICAN INDIAN GENRE. THESE ARE ALL ON MY WEBSITE, WWW.ARTBYIONE.COM. RIGHT NOW I’VE STARTED THREE PAINTINGS. AN IMPRESSIONISTIC STILL LIFE IN OIL, 40”H X 30”W, AN ABSTRACT IN OIL, AND AN ABSTRACT MIXED MEDIA WALL SCULPTURE.

What are your near/long term goals as an artist?

TO CONTINUE EXPRESSING MY IDEAS AND MY SELF, TO BECOME RECOGNIZED AS A WONDERFUL ARTIST. TO BE REMEMBERED.

Where can people view/purchase your work (gallery, website, etc)?

YOU CAN VIEW MY WORK AT: WWW.ARTBYIONE.COM