In interview #5 we meet artist Kristine Schomaker, a Los Angeles based artist, and art mentor. You can find her on Instagram as Kristineschomaker and she is the Founder of Shoebox an artist education business. You can find more about her beyond the interview on her website here
If your new this is the 100 Interview series where I interview a 100 people in the nude. The interviews are open to anyone 21+ and are free flowing experiences on any topic from car prices- engineering examples, to art.
The Interview:
She has always had an interest in art. In her youngest days she would draw on the walls, I image much to the joy of her parents. Later she started drawing in school classes, and making pop art out of bottles. Her Grandmother also loved going to museums so she would often go in her formative years. These experinces with the joy in making art, and see what art is and can be stuck with her and would lead to her becoming an artist, something she’s always been called to be.
Her aunt and uncle, though now divorced, were art collectors. She would see their house covered in art, from established to emerging artists and go to artists openings. Once at an opening she said to her self “I can do this”.
In 1996 she took an art history course at an junior college, this was followed up a painting class in 1997. During this time she recalls “falling in love” with how art is created. Interestingly she now lives in the same building as her painting teacher where she rents out studio spaces for other artists in LA.
She went on to get a masters in studio art and teaching. She taught at Pasadena city college. Her main employment though has been in healthcare. Since 2012 she began Shoe Box Arts, where she provides artist education and mentorship- especially for the business side of art. And she is busy as she also runs an art magaize, and an art book club.
But she is also an artist, she has been an abstract painter, and is currently performing her current project Perceive Me. Here she invites artists to paint, draw, sculpt, photo, video, her nude. The works have been exhibited throughout Southern California, and over 100 artworks have been made. The project is about one’s self image, and on her overcoming her eating disorders. She says we often think of ourselves through the eyes of others. She says she sometimes feels more comfortable nude, though she’s not a nudist, and can feel a bit like a star after posing. You can see the project Here
( Art from Perceive Me: Collaboration of Kristine Schomaker and L Aviva Diamond)
This also lead to her hosting a figure portrait group where anyone could model nude. I love this idea as its like this project but also, it can be very hard if not impossible for people who want to get the bucket list item of posing nude, as many, many art groups will simply only work with a few established models in an area.
She says she’s impulsive and has has 17 cars in her life. She is trying to slow down on impulse decisions. At 52 she is now trying to let go of stuff both physically and mentally. This is by shredding old art, love letters, and even cutting paintings up and she is using these remains to make new abstract works. This process is freeing both the physical space but also mental space and allows her to move forward.
Her focus is living in the present. She does worry about the art market both as a art mentor helping artist grow and sell their work, and as an artist herself who sells art. Economics, AI, are all factors affecting the art market.
She had plans for a road trip which her injured leg is preventing, but she would like to drive and explore the country. She says she lives in a bubble and would like to see how and why the rest of the country is the way it is. But for now she likes her bubble and says post LA fires the LA community is stronger than ever.
When it comes to artists she is amazed at the trust within the space, and the willingness to create and interact in ways that do not exist outside the arts. She says she has a lot of trust with artists.
She wants to know if Interviewees feel different after the interview?
II. My Thoughts
First of all, it is always fun to meet LA and Southern California artists. SoCal has a way that is more free with arts and life. As a NorCal raised person, there is a difference in culture and SoCal is a bit more art conducive than NorCal in my opinion. My conversation today and with other artists continues to reveal this.
I really love Ms. Schomaker’s performance art. As we have advancing AI, and social media photos non stop, a performance art piece creates an experience, a moment and that in itself is an artwork. But two art works are made because there is the capturing of that experience. Moreover, humans are what is really interesting in life, and there isn’t anything more interesting than a nude.
If I were to participate in the Perceive Me I would make one of my ink type drawings from her poses. More experimentally I would like to venture into photography and performance art so I would photograph her holding flowers or painting abstract paintings in bright color photography maybe even over bright lighting conditions. In performance art I have a project in development were a series of people come out to a stage and have x period of time to perform in the nude be it posing, giving a speech, or what not and she would be great for this project.
A clothed series of photographs, that would pair well with her road trip are coffee shop or dinner photos with coffees, breakfast, and small shops, again with bright color photography.
I think bright color photography, and paintings go with her, as in interviewing- there is a certain positive vibe, a brightness that comes through. She was a wonderful interview, and a true joy to interview.
Will you be the next Interviewee?