Gwen Wiess
About
Gwen Wiess is a freelance illustrator currently living and working in Southern New Jersey.
Upon graduating from Tyler School of Art at Temple University, Gwen spent some time living and working in her hometown of Philadelphia before moving to the Czech Republic for 3 years to teach English at a preschool in Prague. In 2020, Gwen moved back to the States and now resides just a stones throw from the shore.
Her creative work celebrates the magic hidden in the everyday by experimenting with form, line, shape and color. Often she explores her own sense of self and internal universe through her imagery - resulting in emotional uses of color and form. She explores these ideas using both traditional and digital media ; primarily the app Procreate, gouache, and colored pencil.
When she’s not managing her humble online shop full of small prints, stickers, and pet portraits, she can be found documenting her artistic journey on youtube, knitting, or taking her rescue dog, Rocco, to the beach.
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Gwen Wiess
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Gwen Wiess
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3 questions on inspiration with
Gwen Wiess
We're asking artists to choose one notable person, place and object that has inspired them in their journey so far. We're mapping inspiration at a scale never attempted before
Person
While many people influenced my art making, my father probably had the largest impact. There were plenty of times during my life where I strayed away from making. He was always there to gently nudge me back towards that avenue by reminding me of the things I used to do so naturally as a child. "Do you remember sketching paintings at the art museum?" "Have you been drawing lately? You seemed stressed. That always seemed to help." "I see you living in a bright studio in a city with all of your painting supplies in a mess in the corner."He knew (and still knows) that a creative path is the one that best suits my journey. Both of my parents, truly, have walked arm in arm with me even when the route is dark and the map is lost. Both my mother and father have always been there to emphatically support and gently critique, for which I'm so thankful.
Place
When living in Prague, I stopped making work a while and have never felt more disconnected from my creative self. Moving home happened quickly - my life changed drastically in a matter of 10 days. The whirlwind that sent me home ultimately sent me down the path of rediscovering the creative part of my being. Navigating the space of my heart still being in Prague, but my body in a very familiar home became a puzzle that I chose to figure out visually. So, really, I think that place of "in-between" was the most influential space in my creative journey. I had the familiarity of home to allow me to feel comfortable to create, but the emotion and experience from a life I left behind in Europe to draw on when learning how to make for myself again.
Object
I was always scared of ruining sketchbooks early on in my artistic career, thus, I rarely ever used one in my practice. Now my sketchbook provides an amazing place for growth and experimentation. It teaches me to not take my work so seriously. This is a lesson that has impacted not only my work, but my life. Now I am able to bring my sketchbook in public with me while traveling or just waiting - something I could have never imagined I'd do before. This practice adds another layer of enjoyment and curiosity within my every day. A lot of the work I make now exists in my sketchbook and no where else. I'm constantly thinking about the blank pages left and what I can do with them, making my sketchbook a never ending source of inspiration.
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