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Cyra R Cancel

Artist's Interview

How long have you been creating?: I have been drawing and painting since I was very young. I remember painting borders for the blackboard in my homeroom class during Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. I designed the gowns for my 15th birthday and senior prom as well as my wedding dress. I started my Art studies in Puerto Rico, but had the opportunity to go to Valencia, Spain to study art; I finished my Art Degree in Puerto Rico. I began to draw and paint once again in March 2006. Now I have the time to express myself in what I really love to do.

What is your medium of choice?: For now, I prefer graphite and colored pencils. I also like oil painting, because it gives me time to retouch and change any details, should my Muse offer.

What are your motivations for creating?: For me, it depends greatly on how I feel at the moment of creation. It may be anything around me that catches my attention. It is important for me to recognize and allow influence of the Muse that is present with me. Some days I can draw and create without effort, some days not. That's why you can see in my portfolio so many different types of influence in my drawings and paintings.

What other artists and movements inform your work?: I really don't know, maybe I took a little from the painters that I studied in Art History. I admire all of them.

What do you find stimulating right now? How does this influence your creative process?: I always take my digital camera with me wherever I go. I don't want to miss a good view or angle of the natural world for a drawing or painting. My computer is a must, if I don't see something around me that catches my attention, I search my computer for animals, faces, flowers or any natural display that might inspire me.

Read anything good lately?: Not lately, as I spend most of my time drawing and painting, I occasionally read nature and fashion magazines to gain new prospective on angle and shades. My mind is always searching for the next drawing or painting that I'm going to create. I do spend some time examining art literature of all kinds in an effort to stay in step with new media and to re-examine the old.

What are some of your artistic goals for the future?: My artistic goals for 2007 are to start doing larger drawings and paintings. I'm very excited to have also begun sharing my art on commonly enjoyed surfaces such as ceramics and clothing apparel.

What would you like your fellow EBSQ artists and collectors to know about you and or your work?: I would like them to know how much I enjoy all artistic expression and how I hope they find some enjoyment in my efforts. I believe if no one enjoyed art but the artist, the world would have a little less to celebrate. I love what I do and try to express this love in all my work hoping to get better as time goes by. I want to thank EBSQ for the support given me and for the opportunity to share this interview with all of you.