-Managing Editor-
Originally from Portland, Oregon, 20-year-old artist Jade Mosier now lives in Bellflower and is taking drawing and painting classes at Goldenwest College.
Her mediums include oil paint, charcoal, graphite and skin— she works as a tattoo artist.
How long have you been making art?
I’ve been an artist all my life, but the last year I’ve seriously started producing finished pieces
When did you start making art? What kind of art was it?
I began making art as a little girl. Mostly messing around with watercolors— nothing spectacular, just muddied-up paintings of creatures I imagined.
I make art because I feel the need in my life to make art. I feel like God or whatever greater being has given me abilities I need to use. So, in a way, I need to make art because I feel like art has chosen me. I don’t want to get overly specific, because there are probably a lot of reasons art has chosen me, but I know I am fulfilling some kind of bigger purpose.
If, for some reason, you could no longer create art, what would you do?
If I couldn’t make art, I would do something else that could give me the same feeling of purpose art does. Perhaps work in an art museum so I could still be surrounded by arts. But imagining my life without making art is a weird, scary thought.
Is there anything that blocks you as an artist?
Life. (laughs) If my schedule were a lot more free, I’d be at my easel doing one painting after the next. But so many things come into play. But if I didn’t have friends and family to be there for, maybe I wouldn’t be as inspired to make artwork.
Do you have a favorite piece of art you’ve created?
As an artist, I’m extremely self-critical and always looking at a piece I’ve finished and ask myself things like, “What could improve? How can this look better? What did I do right? What did I do wrong?” So, I think I could say a piece I’ve seen the most growth has to be a fetal skull tattoo I did on a friend recently.
Do you have a favorite piece of art that someone else has made?
I see and am exposed to really great artwork constantly, every day. But I think my favorite artist is Michael Hussar. All of his pieces possess a mood and energy that is so strong and powerful.
What tends to be your most frequent subject matter and why?
My subject matter tends to be skulls, flowers and “alternative” female models. Skulls because of my attraction to macabre art; there is so much beauty in anatomy and the structure of living creatures. Flowers because of the momentary beauty and their natural fragility. Finally, the alternative models mainly because I am drawing super beautiful feminine faces and incorporating these “harsh” — depending on your view— things like tattoos and piercings on these gorgeous women, which, I think, makes them all the more interesting and beautiful to paint.
My view as an artist is: if it strikes me, I paint it. Maybe in hopes that if it strikes me, maybe it’ll evoke feeling and connections to people like me.
What are you currently working on?
I am currently working on a self portrait. I’m very nervous because it’s going to be a very powerful piece.
More of Mosier’s work can be seen at jadealexandrarose.tumblr.com . Her Instagram handle is @Jademosier .
