Interview With Artist Courtney Priester




Felecia: Please share with my readers a little about yourself.

 

Courtney: I wear many hats. I am a Brooklyn native. I am also a middle school Special Education teacher. I am a writer. I am a mixed media artist. My work mixes painting, digital art, and collage with Afrocentric realism. My paintings are centered around themes of self-love, mental health awareness, and what it means to be a Black woman in America. I like to accentuate the lips and noses of African American women, while regularly amalgamating parts of their bodies with elements of nature to make a statement about the origins of life, the tribulations embedded into Black history and the purity present within us all. Much of my work is dedicated to revealing the beauty and power of Black women. I used the word “reveal” because Black women are not only underrepresented in art but also misunderstood in American society. As Black women, we have to journey to discover our worth and strive to make our mark. My art is part of that journey. This is why everything I create is done with the intent to present Black people in a different light.


 



Felecia: Tell me what inspired you to start doing art?

 

Courtney: I like to believe I was born a creator. As a child, I was always creative and crafty and as I got older I learned that doing art could be a real job. After that becoming an artist was a no-brainer. 




 

Felecia:  How long have you been painting?

 

Courtney: I’ve been painting my whole life. My mom has artwork dating all the way back to when I was 2 years old. For every holiday I would create my own cards for her, and in our spare time my sister and I would create little masterpieces to decorate our room. As I got older I started realizing that I was getting really good at drawing; I would excel in all my middle school art projects and as high school and college approached I decided I would pursue a career in art.


 

Felecia:  In your opinion, what was the hardest part of putting your artwork out there?

 

Courtney: When I first started heavily using social media as a means to share my art and to make a name for myself the hardest part about putting my artwork out there was having and maintaining confidence amidst the competition. Social media is amazing because it makes it easier for your work to reach a larger audience; however, it’s also very easy to get distracted and to lose sight of your vision and of your goals. I was seeing so much art from so many artists and little inklings of doubt started to pop into my head. I started comparing myself to others; which is never good. I started overthinking and overanalyzing everything! “Why did this person get 500 likes for that? How can I reach more people? Should I add more hashtags? What can I do to get 10000 followers like her? Should I paint more celebrities? Wow, look at how much money he’s making... My sales aren’t nearly as high as that.” It went on and on and it was detrimental to my mental health and to my creative process. In the end I had to make peace with myself and I had to remind myself the reasons why I started creating in the first place. 


 



Felecia: What advice would you give to an upcoming artist?

 

Courtney: My piece of advice to all upcoming artists is “do you.” Don’t worry about what’s trending, don’t worry about what other artists are doing and achieving. Just remember why you do what you do and stay true to who you are. 

 


Felecia:  What are you hoping people gain from purchasing and seeing your artwork?

 

Courtney: Whenever I create my goal is to tell a story. To make the audience think and feel. So I hope when people view my artwork a connection is formed and they have a conversation with the art. I want it to speak to them. 

 

 

Felecia:  Do you have an upcoming project coming out?

 

Courtney: I am working on a new series that is inspired by two of my favorites artists Faith Ringgold and Mickalene Thomas. This series will infuse some things that I think are intrinsic to who I am as an artist; lots of fabrics, rich and vibrant color, and of course collages. I will be adding some sewing and patchwork, and I will also be infusing some of my poetry into my artwork. This new series will address masculinity in the Black community and gender roles so stay tuned for some sneak peeks of that.



 



Felecia: How can some of your pieces be purchased?

 

Courtney: My art can be purchased on my website, www.artxcjpriester.com, and on my facebook shop @ArtxCjPriester.


 

Felecia: Please share your media pages for new fans that you would like to share.

Courtney: 

https://www.instagram.com/priestterr/

https://www.facebook.com/artxcjpriester/

https://www.artxcjpriester.com


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