Fern Apfel
Kinderhook, NY
Website
www.fernapfel.com
Social Media
Instagram
How would you describe your work?
I am a still-life artist but instead of painting traditional subjects, I paint pictures of paper, letters, playing cards and other nontraditional subjects. I specialize in making paintings with hand-written text.
What inspires you?
Remnants of the past: old stamps, pages of diaries, pieces from well- thumbed books. And lately, dominoes, handmade paper doll dresses.
Anything that is old and beat up and emits a feeling of having been used and touched and dear to whoever has owned it.
Can you speak about your process?
I work on wood panels. After I gesso and prime the boards, the first thing I do is cover all that whiteness – which I find very intimidating - and paint multiple layers of colors. Sometime I know exactly what I am going to do next – and other times, I have no idea. I sift through my many letters, envelopes and memorabilia in my studio and start to make decisions. I have a few series I work on - so I am also always deciding what series to work on and how I will develop this particular picture. If I am painting a lot of letters and envelopes, I always start with whatever is on top.
How did you become interested in art?
Art is something I just always gravitated to when I was a kid. When I was in high school, I loved being in the art classes. The classes always seemed to be made up of the oddballs and misfits, the kids who needed one more credit to graduate. You didn’t have ‘to be’ anybody and you didn’t have to fit in. I was happy there.
Do you have any favorite artists, movies, books, or quotes?
Probably, too many to mention and it has changed with the years and with what I am thinking about or working on. But, to mention a few… quilts, specifically Amish quilts, almost all types of Asian art, but particularly scroll painting, Indian Mughal painting, European illuminated manuscripts, Persian miniatures, and of course, as a still life artist, Morandi, and then there’s Rothko & Albers, but also, see…I can’t stop!
What advice do you have for younger artists?
Just keep at it – usually we get better with time. Dig deep, be brave, but don’t try to be different, just for different’s sake.
Any more thoughts about art, creativity, or anything else you would like to share?
It can be a satisfying life, but it’s not an easy one – we all have to eat, pay the rent – it’s a bit tricky – just keep this in mind.
