We were lucky to catch up with F.s. Lafave recently and have shared our conversation below.
F.S. , appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
Whether I’m painting or photographing, there’s always a sense that it’s not really a choice: I am driven by my eye. With painting, because I’m self-taught, I used what I had: an understanding of patterns and an eye that works “outside in.”. I started painting later in my twenties only after experimenting with other performative art forms. With acting and improvisation, there was that essential sense of pattern ingrained in me through analyzing text and scenes. I was able to keen my eye. I also keened my eye by taking two photography courses. When I began painting I had already been photographing professionally (as well as for my own sake). The immense photo diary of my life really drove home how visual a person I am and how much I rely on those visual cues and details to drive my life and art. Then, during the pandemic, I discovered that I have minor Dyslexia. A proper diagnosis earlier in life would have really helped streamline and speed up the chaotic learning process of being self-taught. The dyslexia diagnosis helped to explain why my life has been so dictated by visuals and helped me to understand why I paint from the “outside-in”. What was an unknown but felt obstacle became an illumination for further growth.
F.S. , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My first real dip into the creative pool was acting and photography in college. When I came to Chicago, it was as a young actor. All I saw were $1,000 headshots that made everyone look like porcelain dolls on a sound stage. Those were fine, but I realized there were also some great back drops in the city and no questioning the Sun as an excellent light source. After taking two photography classes in college and learning in a studio how to get all these lights and boxes and buttons to work correctly, I realized: it’s a ridiculous amount of work, time, and money to buy or rent equipment for something that the sun does automatically. Therefore, I use Natural Light for all my headshots. The sun is the cheapest light box I’ve ever invested in. It grants me incredible freedom as an artist and for my clients. Even when the sunlight is harsh, there’s always somewhere I can go to get a nice, defused light. We do have to work around weather at times but, if we ever need to reschedule, it’s no sweat off my back because I haven’t rented any lights or studio time. That saves the clients money as well. Some of the best memories I have are taking clients through Chicago, finding a unique, urban environment that they vibe with, capturing it, then seeing their face when I flip around the camera. I’ll show them the unedited shot we just took and hear them say, “oh my God, you just took that!?” The most I’ll need for any given photoshoot is one small reflector held by myself or an assistant and an hour of time. Actors, Musicians, Teachers, Execs, Non-Profits, and Performers of all sorts can and do rely on me to get them a Professional headshot that won’t hurt the wallet and feel confident showing colleagues and family alike.
Once I began taking headshots and printing photos more often, I found myself having many printing issues where prints would get messed up or come out the wrong color, with lines or smudges, etc. After starring at all this waisted money and paper, I decided that all these botched prints could serve as a nice surface to paint over. What started out as a way to reuse faulty prints, transitioned to its own process where I take photos, print them, then paint over to enhance or give a photograph an alternate perspective. (For example, I have a great shot of the Sears/Willis Tower in Chicago that I am able to print and paint over to create unlimited variations) I haven’t seen anyone else paint in this particular style and I love seeing people figure out what their looking at. The combination of acrylic & watercolor paint on photo paper creates a ‘controlled chaos’ that can play tricks on the eyes. This style is constantly evolving as I’m always looking for a new way to enhance the perspective of a photo and play with colors. I’m thankful that I get to make these fun discoveries about myself, my work and hopefully inspire others to try something different or just play around.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
Art for me is another way of communication. Not being able to express myself creatively in my life, pre-adulthood felt like I was muted somehow. As I grew up and experimented with different mediums; stage, photography, painting, etc. I learned languages that I can now use to communicate to people far beyond what my words could. Being dyslexic, words haven’t been the best way for me to interpret the world or express my point of view in it. Before I picked up the language of photography and painting, I felt like a bird born with clipped wings, like I had never really expressed myself. After diving into photography, improvisation, and painting, my whole understanding of communication and self-expression blossomed. I consider finding your own language to communicate, whether through art or another pursuit, to be the most important step to a creative life.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
Hands down, the most rewarding aspect of my job is seeing the reaction of people when the see the results of my work. It’s the ability to make something out of nothing and turn it into an emotion, a memory, or just a headshot that you’re proud to show off to friends and family. The feeling I get when someone picks up one of my paintings or their jaw drops when I flip around the camera immediately after snapping a headshot, it’s sweet serotonin.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://foresttstronglafave.com
- Instagram: @JustForesttSL
- Facebook: @JustForesttSL
Image Credits
All photos courtesy of F.S. LaFave