Zhaira Costiniano I find your experience in both art and literature to be quite intriguing. The stories you portray in your artwork are ambiguous, and you have mentioned before that you are interested in exploring the figure in its awkwardness, anonymity, and universality. How do you employ both degrees to tell your stories?
Photo of the artist, Cheryl Finfrock
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Cheryl Finfrock When I was at Trinity University, I double majored in literature and art. Initially I wanted to be a poet and writer. My writing was imagistic and an exploration of characters, lacking a clear plot and not very linear. I crafted images with words and explored concrete poetry. One of my teachers referred to me as a visual artist and recommended the fine arts department. I studied sculpture and did oxy-acetylene welding continuing character exploration with lines in space. Later I worked with wall sculptures and eventually drawing and painting. For both written and painted storytelling, universality is important. I think that’s when the reader or viewer participates. I like to explore the underdog, to take a deeper look at those who are passed by. I like subjects who might otherwise leave an invisible footprint.
ZC A champion for those who tend to fall in between the cracks. Let’s talk more about your usage of scratchboard. What drew you to this material? |
Half Full, 2019, Scratchboard, 24 × 24 in
CF Scratchbord is made by Ampersand Art Supply in Buda, and I like the idea of working on locally manufactured surfaces. I also like the challenge of working in black and white. It’s like walking into darkness and being guided by flickers of light, pulling and pushing the positive and negative space. A few months ago, I got caught in a rainstorm. It was night, no city lights, and dangerous to pull over. I imagined working with scratchbord and followed the tiny light on various surfaces to guide me. The feeling of moving through darkness on a surface and finding form intrigues me. Scratchbord lends itself to drawing, and I enjoy working with lines. However, the surface is unforgiving. The mark making cannot be erased; it’s a bit of a battleground for light and dark.
ZC Unforgiving is a great way to put it. You bounce from using scratchboard to acrylic on clayboard pretty often, how do you justify doing one over the other?
CF Scratchbord needs planning. It’s physical and involves drawing and line. Working in black and white has a certain simplicity and discipline. In a way, it reminds me of working in metal. The welding I did utilized lines in space and was not reliant on color. I often photograph painting in black and white to make sure they have the right tone and contrast. Painting on claybord is looser. The brush stroke is broader, and I love the liberation of color. If subject matter needs color, I choose claybord. My choice between scratchbord and claybord involves color and line choices.
ZC Unforgiving is a great way to put it. You bounce from using scratchboard to acrylic on clayboard pretty often, how do you justify doing one over the other?
CF Scratchbord needs planning. It’s physical and involves drawing and line. Working in black and white has a certain simplicity and discipline. In a way, it reminds me of working in metal. The welding I did utilized lines in space and was not reliant on color. I often photograph painting in black and white to make sure they have the right tone and contrast. Painting on claybord is looser. The brush stroke is broader, and I love the liberation of color. If subject matter needs color, I choose claybord. My choice between scratchbord and claybord involves color and line choices.
Last Dance, 2015, Acrylic on Claybord, 24 × 30 in
The Snow's Breath Courted Her Solitude, 2015, Acrylic on claybord, 24 × 18 in
ZC: A lot of the stories you tell deal with seclusion, a topic that describes our current reality pretty well, some compelling examples are The Snow's Breath Courted Her Solitude and Half Full. Is this a theme you are continuing given our peculiar circumstances?
CF: This is a weird coincidence. The Snow’s Breath Courted Her Solitude was influenced by a photo I saw in Humans of New York. The subject matter was a nurse. I liked the color of her dress. My painting was fueled by the desire to use that blue. Half Full was influenced by an old Great Depression Photo of a boy with a can. With both works, the theme is solitude. Yes, I am continuing this theme. I am finding that my works with multiple figures have a natural social distance.
ZC You, along with most other artists, have had to move your practice to a makeshift studio in your house. How has that been for you? Has it disrupted your creativity, or have you found the change of scenery inspirational? A little bit of both maybe?
CF I was in between studios a couple of years ago, so I have the home studio set up already. It’s small but has windows. It’s basically my home/office split between my bookkeeping business and temporary art studio. It’s nice to live with works in progress, and I’ll be working on larger scratchbord pieces in my yard. Scratchbord is dusty, so I am glad to be outside. I also draw on electronic ink tablets and plan drawings on scratchbord from there. So far, everything has been slow, like swimming through molasses. I’m being patient with my process. I miss leaving the house to go to my studio and just getting out and being in a routine. Fortunately, the group at Canopy Studios is having Zoom meetings and being in touch. There is disruption, but I think I’ll get into a flow soon.
CF: This is a weird coincidence. The Snow’s Breath Courted Her Solitude was influenced by a photo I saw in Humans of New York. The subject matter was a nurse. I liked the color of her dress. My painting was fueled by the desire to use that blue. Half Full was influenced by an old Great Depression Photo of a boy with a can. With both works, the theme is solitude. Yes, I am continuing this theme. I am finding that my works with multiple figures have a natural social distance.
ZC You, along with most other artists, have had to move your practice to a makeshift studio in your house. How has that been for you? Has it disrupted your creativity, or have you found the change of scenery inspirational? A little bit of both maybe?
CF I was in between studios a couple of years ago, so I have the home studio set up already. It’s small but has windows. It’s basically my home/office split between my bookkeeping business and temporary art studio. It’s nice to live with works in progress, and I’ll be working on larger scratchbord pieces in my yard. Scratchbord is dusty, so I am glad to be outside. I also draw on electronic ink tablets and plan drawings on scratchbord from there. So far, everything has been slow, like swimming through molasses. I’m being patient with my process. I miss leaving the house to go to my studio and just getting out and being in a routine. Fortunately, the group at Canopy Studios is having Zoom meetings and being in touch. There is disruption, but I think I’ll get into a flow soon.
The artist's studio at Canopy, Austin
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The Artist's Makeshift Home Studio
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Work in progress
ZC You currently reside in Austin, but still have family in North Texas, so you are able to compare how the two cities are responding. Do you find that your situation is any different than in Dallas?
CF In what way?
ZC Are the social distancing measures the same? Is there also an unfortunate lack of toilet paper? Do you think people are following the rules? I feel like Austin is normally more active due to all the lakes and parks plus the college crowd.
CF Social distancing should be the same, but a lot of people are crowding our trails and playing frisbee, volleyball, etc. The trails have been shut down for Easter weekend and maybe longer. Because Austin has so many parks and outdoor opportunities, following the rules becomes challenging. I’m staying home to be safe. We have a larger population of young people getting sick. The spring break crowd spiked the statistics.
ZC These times are especially trying for artists, and all creatives to be exact. Are you still able to remain hopeful? There are many grants for artists that are being advertised, but have you found them helpful or accessible?
CF I remain hopeful because it’s essential. It is very challenging, but hope is the only way to get out of bed in the morning. I try to stay current on good news and frequently google the latest on tests, new medications, trials, and vaccine possibilities. I have received info about artist grants, and that’s much more accessible than the SBA info. However, if you are a sole proprietor the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Emergency Advance is easy to fill out. Here’s the link https://covid19relief.sba.gov/#/
CF In what way?
ZC Are the social distancing measures the same? Is there also an unfortunate lack of toilet paper? Do you think people are following the rules? I feel like Austin is normally more active due to all the lakes and parks plus the college crowd.
CF Social distancing should be the same, but a lot of people are crowding our trails and playing frisbee, volleyball, etc. The trails have been shut down for Easter weekend and maybe longer. Because Austin has so many parks and outdoor opportunities, following the rules becomes challenging. I’m staying home to be safe. We have a larger population of young people getting sick. The spring break crowd spiked the statistics.
ZC These times are especially trying for artists, and all creatives to be exact. Are you still able to remain hopeful? There are many grants for artists that are being advertised, but have you found them helpful or accessible?
CF I remain hopeful because it’s essential. It is very challenging, but hope is the only way to get out of bed in the morning. I try to stay current on good news and frequently google the latest on tests, new medications, trials, and vaccine possibilities. I have received info about artist grants, and that’s much more accessible than the SBA info. However, if you are a sole proprietor the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Emergency Advance is easy to fill out. Here’s the link https://covid19relief.sba.gov/#/
