The Commission: Kara Hendershot

Local art made exclusively for METRO.

"Ambivalent"

Image credit: Kara Hendershot

Recommended by the Editor

The Commission: Brian Lesteberg

The Commission: Gregory Euclide

By: METRO StaffEmily Cain |   October 2011   |  From the print edition

Editor’s note: Kara Hendershot’s painting, “Ambivalent,” appeared in the October magazine as part of an ongoing effort to feature locally made art made specifically for METRO. The work is acrylic on canvas, 22” x 30”.

Hendershot, who lives and works in St. Paul, recently spoke with METRO about the piece, her work and what advice she has for aspiring artists. To view more of her work, visit karahendershot.com.

METRO: What is the earliest memory you have of knowing you wanted to be an artist?

Kara Hendershot: I never wanted to be an artist while I was growing up. Everyone around me told me I would become an artist because I was always creating, but I always denied them. Yet I kept on creating art and never gave up on it.  

I guess I had an awakening in high school when I was encouraged to take an AP Portfolio class for college credit. The other students in that course were very serious and passionate about their art, and being around other serious artists helped to push me and encourage me. I spent hours alone in my room working on my portfolio, and it was such an empowering feeling to create my own artwork, entirely from my own ideas. Of course I still had my doubts over the next several years. Honestly though, deep down, I probably knew all along that I wanted to be an artist. I was just too stubborn to admit it, because I didn’t like the fact that everyone was trying to tell me what I should become.        

M: How did you get started as an artist in the Twin Cities?

KH: I had just moved back to Minnesota from spending a year in AmeriCorps in South Carolina, where I lived after graduating from college. I was staying with my parents for a few months to save money. I didn’t know if I would stay in the Twin Cities, but I knew that I wanted to get an art studio and get back into painting.  I heard about the artists’ co-ops in St. Paul and I applied to live and work as an artist at the Northern Warehouse Artists’ Co-op. I was accepted, and that’s where it all began. With hardly any previous exhibition experience, I immediately began participating in the St. Paul Art Crawl, and about a year later I was running the Art Crawl Committee for the Northern Warehouse. I took on other volunteer opportunities with arts organizations and applied for numerous exhibits, attended business workshops and gallery shows, anything to give myself the experience that I needed to aid my career as an artist. 

M: How would you describe your overall artistic aesthetic?

I work in many layers, using different visual media. I explore realistic images with implications of abstraction, detail that fades in and out of focus to create elements of mystery within each piece.  

M: Who are some of your personal influences, and what about their work speaks to you?

KH: My biggest influences are the artists in my family, and my college figure drawing instructor, Professor Fennell. I grew up learning how to see things in a special way, and that was because my family members who are artists were always sharing their work and insight with me. I learned the value of artistic expression from a young age. I think what spoke to me about their work was just the fact that they were honest in the expression of their work, and they were never hesitant to share it. There is a very admirable pride in that. Professor Fennell had a very similar influence, because she was very honest in the way that she created, and the way that she taught.    

M: What was the inspiration/story behind the commission piece featured in METRO's October issue?

KH: I was about to begin a new body of work that focuses on self portraits and issues surrounding vulnerability, self doubt, uncertainty; basically a platform to openly deal with personal struggles. So when the Senior Editor contacted me to do the piece, I knew I wanted to create a piece within this new body of work that I was about to begin. “Ambivalent” is a personal piece but it also speaks on a broader sense. It explores the ties that we have to home that hold us in place, while the connections we have elsewhere are simultaneously pulling us away. It’s about the struggle to find the balance between what we want and what we need, the longing and the doubt, and the uncertainty that causes us to waver. That’s the piece in a general sense, but more specifically it is about the ties that I have to my current home neighborhood of Lowertown and the gradual sense of detachment I feel from home as my physical environment continues to rapidly change.

M: What is your process when you begin work on a new piece? Do you do any sort of pre-planning, or do you just attack a blank white page, so to speak?

I spend a lot of time thinking about different subjects when I’m not actually painting. I usually have an image or at least a subject in mind when I begin a new series or piece. I’ll create sketches or studies to get the initial ideas flowing, which may or may not have anything that resembles what the piece will eventually look like.  

When beginning the actual piece, my process begins very broadly. I can’t stand staring at a blank canvas because there are too many possibilities and I would never get anything done if I just stood there, pondering all the different prospects of what to paint or draw. So, the first thing I do is throw some paint on it and make a blurry mess until the canvas has some substance to it. Then I am ready to explore it further, and that is when different ideas and themes pop up as I’m progressing the piece.  

M: What, in your opinion, is unique about the Twin Cities art community and what's your favorite part about working here?

I think the relationships that Twin Cities artists have with each other is unique. It’s not about direct competition, yet there’s enough of an awareness about each other to challenge one another and push each other to succeed. Artists here aren’t afraid to work together, share ideas, and collaborate on projects and exhibits. That’s what I like about working here.  Artists are really supportive of each other.

M: What is the best advice you ever received as an artist, and what piece of advice can you impart upon aspiring young artists?

My figure drawing professor in college pushed us to always try something new. She would say to push yourself to continue to explore, whether it is a different medium or a different subject matter. It’s important to keep things fresh, otherwise you become stagnant. So I would pass similar advice onto young artists, especially artists who are just beginning to find their voice. Keep trying new ideas, new media, new imagery. Explore, experiment, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. It is often by mistake that you find your biggest successes in art. Art is very unpredictable like that.  

M: What are you working on now (and where/when can it be seen)?

I am continuing the series on self portraits. I have new work from this series that will be in the “Beauty School Dropouts” group exhibit at Gallery 13 in Minneapolis in November. The artists in this exhibit are all creating work that attempts to express personal strength by challenging the perceptions of femininity and beauty held by cultural norms.