Mia Araujo Returns With Santa Muerte

1xRun Thru Interview
Santa Muerte by Mia Araujo

1xRun: Tell us a little bit about this piece, is the original still for sale?
Mia Araujo: The original is being sold by Thinkspace Gallery at their upcoming show with Hashimoto Contemporary in San Francisco. Those interested should contact Thinkspace with inquiries.

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1xRun: Was this piece part of a recent theme, series or show that you had?
Mia Araujo: The show is opening on Halloween, so I decided to go for a Dia de los Muertos theme.

1xRun: Anything immediate you would like us to highlight?
Mia Araujo: I had worked with a beautiful model, Olivia Lopez, two years ago for the centerpiece of my solo show at Corey Helford Gallery, and still have a number of amazing shots of her. Her features were just so fun to paint, and I thought she would make a perfect subject for a day of the dead piece. I wanted the main figure to be a combination of the Aztec death goddess, Mictecacihuatl, the Virgin Mary, and the iconic image of a bride that marries death, to form this image of Santa Muerte. My favorite setting for day of the dead celebrations is a graveyard at night that is covered with flowers and candles.

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1xRUN: What materials did you use to create this piece?
Mia Araujo: Acrylic on wood.

1xRun: When was the piece created?
Mia Araujo: October 2014.

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1xRun: Tell us how the idea and execution came about?
Mia Araujo: It took just under 2 weeks, from conception to final execution. I was on a time crunch to get it finished before an overseas trip and the show’s deadline, which would have overlapped. I’m very pleased with the result, and have come to realize that I work better under the pressure of a deadline.

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1xRun: What is unique about this piece?
Mia Araujo: It has a very strong triangular silhouette, and would look great on any wall as a result. The candlelit lighting scheme is also something I’ve never done for an over-all piece, and the colors are more vibrant than in my latest works.

1xRun: Describe this print in one gut reaction word.
Mia Araujo: Hauntingly beautiful.

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1xRun: Tell us what you have been up to since our last release, what has been keeping you busy over the summer and fall of this year?
Mia Araujo: I’ve been working a day job to pay the bills, but in my spare time I’ve been working on a very elaborate commissioned painting that unfortunately the client had to forfeit due to financial issues. The good news is that I now have a great piece to put in a future group show. The main thing I don’t like about commissions is that nobody gets to see the original, other than the client. I’ve also been working on 3 personal projects on the side, all in the sketch phase still, because I’ve just been so busy with work, that painting I mentioned, and all the small things day-to-day things.

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1xRun: Any recent shows or exhibitions that you’d like to highlight?
Mia Araujo: To be perfectly vague, one of these side projects is a potential book project I hope to release in the near future, the second is a painting series that I will be starting with each group show next year, and the third is a drawing/loose painting portrait series that I hope to have up on my Etsy store as a weekly thing once I have enough of them finished.

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1xRun: Have you made an recent strides in your work that you feel have helped you progress as an artist?
Mia Araujo: I’m learning to work more efficiently with the small spurts of time that I have. I used to spend hours on small areas of a painting, or to repaint things several times over. Now I’m planning things better with more detailed color comps, better photo reference, and more attention to the composition and drawing, before I even start on the painting itself. I feel that I’m paying more attention to design, shape, and composition when I look at the world and at other people’s art, and I have a greater interest in loosening up and being more gestural with my work in general. All I need to do is apply these, every time I draw and paint, and over time there will be a noticeable difference. I think all these things will make a positive difference in my evolution as an artist.

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1xRun: Do you have any new influences that have been motivating you as of late?
Mia Araujo: My boyfriend introduced me to the work of Fenric Pinter, and I fell in love seeing his originals in person on our recent trip to Italy. Going to Florence for the first time last week (and fulfilling a 10-year dream of seeing Michelangelo’s David in the flesh) made fireworks go off inside my head, and I absolutely can’t wait to get back to painting! And of course the works of Claire Wendling, and the drawings and paintings of artists in the field of animation are a constant source of inspiration/kick in the pants for me.

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1xRun: What else is on your schedule as we get towards the winter of this year?
Mia Araujo: I need to get a piece done for a group show in January, celebrating Thinkspace Gallery’s 10-year anniversary, and a series of small portrait commissions, each the size of a business card. If I can get those done by the end of 2014, along with any practice sketching and painting on the side, I would be more than happy.

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1xRun: Any upcoming exhibitions or shows you’d like to talk about?
Mia Araujo: I already have a few shows on the roster for next year- including the Thinkspace Anniversary show and a Suggestivism show in September. But I want to have enough time to work on my book project and weekly Etsy project as well, so I’m going to limit 2015 to a handful of group shows scattered throughout the year.

1xRun: Where can we find you?
Mia Araujo: TwitterFacebookEtsy

-1xRUN