Artist Spotlight: Alma Stoller

Time to intruduce you all to another fabulous artist! I have to tell you that I really enjoy this process. Getting to know another artist and hearing their story is fascinating and inspiring to me. I hope it is to you as well. 

Alma Stoller creates some lovley and ethereal portraits and mixed media textile art and I think you might like her work as much as I do.

Lyric - It's so nice to "meet" you here Alma. I love your work and am wondering, did you always know you wanted to be an artist?

Alma - yes. I knew that very early on.

L - I love it when that happens. What are some of the interesting turns you took on the path to where you are now as an artist?

A -I always knew that I wanted to focus in the arts. For me, that took the form of Theater in High School and Music in College. I loved becoming Joan of Arc so much, that I cut my hair and dyed it black in order to 'feel' the part. I started writing poetry and songs when I was in my early teen and spent a good deal of time recording it and trying to get into the biz, but I realized that what I liked about music and theater was the writing, coming up with an interesting chord progression, the development of stories, characters and the creative part of it. 

I have always been interested in the healing arts.... how art, whether it's dance or doll making, theater or cabinet making can transform you. It has the ability to change your life....to empower you and make everyday experiences sweeter. In my own way, these days, I focus more on that angle of it than anything else. I've always dabbled with drawing and doodling on paper.....but it wasn't until my daughter was born that I shifted from music to art. I finished my BA in Music, (with one class short of a minor in art) and immediately started taking Graduate courses in Music Education. Doing what I thought was the practical thing to do rather than what I wanted to do. 

When my daughter was born....that was actually the best time. While caring for her, I was also able to care for myself. I actually had the time to think about what I wanted. I started writing and drawing again. I started sewing new things out of the little dresses she outgrew. It was a really sweet and quiet time for me.

L - Why do you choose your medium?

A - I work in a little bit of everything. 

I truly enjoy working in all fields of art, from painting, collage, to crochet and textile art.

  

L - What are your favorite art supplies - the ones you can't do without?

A - That changes depending on what I am into at the moment.....

Right now, my favorite supplies are Golden Extra Heavy Gel Matte, pearl cotton embroidery thread, gesso, and the current issue of Vogue.

L - Why do you teach and what do you get out of it?

A - I love teaching and I love sharing my ideas. Teaching others allows me to see my work from the outside rather than from inside my head and through my eyes. 

It forces me to be a little more mindful of my own creative process....something I am not quite aware of when I am in 'the zone".

L - Do you have any upcoming classes you would like to promote?

A - I am teaching a class called Fabric Beads, Oddities and Thingamajigs....it is a hoot.

Soooooooo much fun.

So there you have it. Alma is a lovely person and a whimsical artist. I love that she doesn't limit herself with one medium but simply applies whatever suits her fancy. How about you? Why do you use the medium you do? Did you choose it for any particular reason? If you had to work in another medium what would it be?