Courtesy Photo-Mila Lynn
Trying to capture the soul of an artist in words can be elusive. Mila Lynn is an artist extraordinaire. They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. From this writer's perspective, Lynn's artwork is beautiful. I also think her art goes way beyond what you see on the surface.
Lynn's earliest memories of drawing are sitting down with her dad and getting busy at age four. Lynn considers some of her more outstanding attributes to include a keen sense of awareness, how the color goes together and noticing that there are differences in the world. "The ability to reimagine those differences is fun to me," said Lynn.
Lynn’s first artistic breakthrough came about two years ago. In 2019 Lynn did her own art show. "It was a blast," said Lynn. "I was able to come up with my own funding. I learned how to pitch the show to people and build this project from the ground up.”
It was successful!
As explained by Lynn, painting for her is an emotional process. "Painting is like solving a problem," said Lynn. "You get into it with maybe something that started in your head. About mid painting, you hate it. Questioning the what, the why, and how of the painting. You get really upset, and you know you have to fix it. It’s always a transfer of energy,” acknowledged Lynn.
Courtesy Photo-Mila Lynn
Lynn related some experiences her students have while painting. Some students noted that they love to paint even if they don’t consider themselves good painters. "If you can feel better after painting, that's a good thing," said Lynn. "That's the point of it." Not having the benefits of a formal art training program hasn’t slowed Lynn down one bit. Lynn, who attended Everett High School in Lansing, remembers that she constantly dealt with an art curriculum. While immersing herself in numerous art learning opportunities growing up, Lynn is a natural-born artist. She soaked in all that her dad had to offer and thirsted for more.
Lynn, who has sold artwork internationally, now is an artist in residency at REACH Studio Art Center located in Reotown in Lansing. “Yes, I am self-taught,” said Lynn.
Giving credit where credit is due, Lynn acknowledges the support of her family, especially her dad, mom, and her close friends, always giving her what she needed to be successful. “Art was where I first bonded with my dad,” said Lynn. “That bond will always be a special place for me and my dad.”
Courtesy Photo-Mila Lynn
Lynn grew up in Lansing and was born in Colorado Springs. As to what painting or series of images has the most meaning, “It’s the series that I am working on now,” says Lynn. “It has been the most thought out series to date (Black is King). I have allowed myself to bring the entire collection to the stage.”
When tasked with figuring out what she likes to paint the most, Lynn noted that she was partial to painting people. She also stated that she likes doing caricature. Specifically, children. "I really enjoy capturing their reactions," said Lynn. "It's always a lot of fun."
In Lynn's own words, her artwork is unique because it has a lot of meaning, and she really thinks about every part of the process. When discussing her favorite pastimes globally, Lynn notes that she likes to sing and dance in the shower. "I am not good at either," smiled Lynn.
When looking at her artwork, the question of what medium was used occur to me. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the meaning of an art medium is: "material or technical means of artistic expression (such as paint and canvas, sculptural stone, or literary or musical form).”
Some examples of mediums used for art are colored pencils, acrylic paint, and wood. “These paintings are acrylic paint/ink,” said Lynn. “But I work with magazines, oil paints, and graphite as well.” Lynn was referring to her latest collection, “Black is King.”
To fully celebrate the "Black is King" collection, Lynn notes she intends to make a whole production of the celebration. "A night like an intimate black-tie affair with a proper meal.
The top two things learned from doing your own show include learning that event planning is an actual job, and when the show is actually going on, it's essential to be present (both physically and mentally).
Reflecting on essential things, Lynn's advice to aspiring young artists is simple. "Go get it," says Lynn. "Don't ask anybody for their opinion. Just go for it." For more information or to take a peek at some of Mila’s work, visit www.mindofmila.com/prints, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter: @mindofmila
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