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Liv Larsen: Hello, and welcome back to Trending. Today I’m here with, 

Lara Cayci: Lara Cayci.

LL: Who is my fellow RubicOnline member. Today I’m going to be talking to Lara about her art, so as many of you probably don’t know, Lara is a painter, and she’s super good. 

LC: Thank you.

LL: When did you start painting Lara?

LC: In general?

LL: Yeah. 

LC: I think I was like eight or something. I used to paint with acrylic paint. Yeah, I’m pretty sure I was eight or something, and then I started oil painting when I was ten. 

LL: And when did you start painting at the studio that you paint at now? 

LC: That’s when I started. When I was eight. That’s how I know. When I started I was eight years old. I think you can start when you’re around eight, so that’s when I started. 

LL: Why do you like painting? Why have you continued it for so long?

LC: Honestly, it’s kind of terrible because it takes so long, but it’s kind of fun. It’s kind of relaxing. It is kind of annoying because it looks ugly for like 90% of the time. It looks terrible, but it’s really, I feel like it’s worth it in the end. Since they take so long, they take around a year, or less, I’m just lazy, so it takes me a year for a big one, you can really see the progress. When I finish one I always want to start one to see if I do better, and by the time I finish it usually looks a lot better than before. 

LL: What painting are you working on now?

LC: Right now? I’m working on one, it’s very complicated actually… Basically someone once told me that I only paint portraits or really simple stuff, so I tried to do something different. It’s the Shinto god of wisdom riding an ox down the stairs of an ally. That’s it. 

LL: Where do you usually get your inspiration for paintings?

LC: Sometimes I look at photos online. I have taken my own images if I have ideas I ask someone if they can pose for me. I’m doing that now, not for the ox painting, but I’m doing this other one I think soon, and I’m going to get someone to model for me. I don’t know what that’s going to be yet. Usually I just see images that I like, and I kind of combine them with other ones, different elements of them. I try to make my own composition. I don’t like to follow images, so yeah. 

LL: While you’re painting do you listen to music, or do you like it to be really silent? Can you work with other people? 

LC: I can work with other people. I like to talk. Since I go to my studio I like to talk while doing it. I think it’s more fun, but I also paint at home. Then, it’s usually quiet. I’m usually watching tv or something. Usually I watch South Park on my computer. I have been doing that. I don’t think I’ll be able to do that soon because I put my computer on my palette because I’ve just been drawing so far, but yeah. I usually don’t listen to music. It’s too distracting. 

LL: Are there any specific artists or painters or photographers who inspire your art at all?

LC: Not really. I don’t really drive from traditional painters. I kind of just do my own thing.

LL: Who are your favorite artists if you have any?

LC: I don’t really have any. 

LL: Are there any other art forms that you have tried or are interested in? I know you mentioned drawing, but video or photography or anything like that?

LC: I mean I have done photography. I haven’t really tried anything with video before. I have tried pottery; I’m not very good at it. Of course drawing, I use pastels, but I’m not good at that. I mean I am, but I don’t like it, personally, but it’s good to try different things, so I sometimes like to use them just to be a little different. 

LL: Is there anything that you’ve learned from painting, like any skills that you have incorporated into your own life? 

LC: Since I have to be so patient, I’ve kind of become less impatient with reading something or watching a movie or stuff like that. I don’t really get annoyed if something takes too long. I kind of understand that it’s part of it, and I think that comes from the fact that it takes a really long time to do these paintings. If I sit there and work for like six hours, starting with the canvas, after six hours I might have my lines in. Maybe I’m still drawing it. It takes a really long time. I think that’s a really big thing that has changed for me. 

LL: What advice would you have for anyone that wants to pursue painting or is just starting to?

LC: Don’t be shy. You may want to be really good right as you start. Right away you look at other artists and you compare yourself, and you want to do as well as them, but you have to understand that those artists put in so much time and effort, so if you want to reach that level you have to work as hard. Don’t beat yourself up if your art isn’t up to your standards at that moment because if you keep practicing you will get better. How you get better is just by practicing. Just keep working at it, and eventually you will meet your goals. Also, it’s very fun, and be bold. Don’t do the same thing over and over. Try some new stuff. Ask your friends to model for you; You don’t need to go off of images you see. Try different compositions. Do crazy stuff. Nothing is stopping you. 

LL: Awesome, thank you so much Lara. It was so interesting to hear about that. This has been Trending. Thank you so much for listening. Stay tuned for another episode coming in a few weeks.