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Mural: Neon Wishes
Sponsorship: Aspen Properties Address: The Edison at 150 9 Ave SW Artist: Stephanie Hoogveld Website: stephaniehoogveld.com Animator: Kaylee Rae Website: neoquasi.com Q: Tell us a bit about your art practice. SH: I paint large vibrant oil paintings celebrating memories that are treasured for generations. My style is best described by large distinctive brushstrokes on large scale canvas to express the larger-than-life feeling I get from the beauty that surrounds us in Canada. I also paint for positive change right here in Calgary. KR: I am a transdisciplinary media artist specializing in animation, video and circus performance. I'm currently focusing on integrating my media practice with circus arts by showing projections over hoop dance and aerial silks. Conceptually I fixate on the human body and its binary nature of being simultaneously capable of both beauty and horror. Q: What has been a favorite project of yours? SH: In 2013, my life drastically changed when my mom was diagnosed with Leukemia and died after a very short period. Truly an inspiration, my mom gave me the courage and strength to pursue a life and art path with greater purpose. In her honour, my three sisters and I created The Sky Painters. Together we interviewed 56 families who had been impacted by cancer which inspired the creation of 56 paintings of hope. Through The Sky Painters, I learned the deep impact my paintings could have on people. I realized my art could create positive change. It's a beautiful feeling to know that one of my paintings can bring such happiness hanging in a home. KR: I love performing aerials and, on my semester abroad in Rhode Island, I performed a static trapeze act in a show for which I also designed the lighting and sound. Q: What was your inspiration for this painting/animation? SH: The beautiful Canadian landscape inspired our painting and animation. Especially the beautiful winter days and the gorgeous sunrises and sunsets we enjoy in Calgary. Given the theme is Electric Winter, Kaylee Rae and I wanted to create a magical winter sky, full of electric shooting stars and northern lights. We wanted the sky to come alive! KR: The theme of Electric Winter inspired me to recreate an aurora into a neon light show. Q: How did the AR aspect of this exhibition influence you when creating the mural/animation? SH: This was a fun project for me as I learned so much about animation and AR. To achieve a successful animation, my painting had to have a number of targets (high contrast colours and intersecting lines) for Kaylee to be able to make my image come to life. Luckily for me, my artwork is characteristic of large overlapping brushstrokes and vibrant colours so the window painting translated well to an animation. I enjoyed the process of planning my design and how Kaylee and I would transform viewers experiences! KR: To me, the "augmented" aspect was very important to retain, so having a lot of transparency for Stephanie's painting to show through was a determining factor of how I animated the piece. I find AR most effective with the creative use of layering to give the illusion of depth, so that's where I directed my animation. Q: What is something you want the viewer to take away after experiencing your window? SH: I hope viewers walk away with the holiday spirit, a magical feeling and ultimately a "neon wish" as they see the shooting stars! KR: To appreciate the natural beauty of winter, even when the air hurts your face! Q: When touring the exhibition what is the ideal beverage to bring along? SH: A London Fog! KR: A yummy chai. Q: What did you find surprising/unexpected about participating in the exhibition? SH: I wasn't really surprised, but I really enjoyed my encounters with all the friendly faces as I created my window painting. KR: I was expecting some of the detail of my animation to be lost transferring from my computer to an AR app presentation, but I was surprised and delighted that the AR animation fit very true to my vision. Q: What do you enjoy about being an artist/animator in Calgary? SH: I really enjoyed adding colour and beauty to our city! Window painting was an awesome medium to expand my art practice! KR: I find the artist community in Calgary is very collaborative and open to working together and is highly supportive of young and emerging artists. Buds Collective would like to thank Aspen Properties for participating in Northern Reflections 2018. Photographer: Katy Whitt Article: Victoria Hedin |