We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Irene Feleo a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Irene, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
I started taking my painting practice seriously around two years ago. Back then, I was working as an Art Director at a production studio and would do a lot of my personal illustration work on the computer. I knew that I wanted to create more work with my hands, and I realized that the only way to do that was to dedicate time to the studio and put the hours in. At first, I found it incredibly frustrating and disheartening. The quality of work that I could create painting by hand was ions away from the work that I had been creating for years digitally. The whole process was much slower, you had to wait for the paint to dry, there was no ctrl+Z if you made a mistake, and it never felt like anything was really done. But for these reasons I loved it! I don’t really know if there is a way to speed up your learning process because I think that process of learning a new discipline is part of what makes it stimulating. There is a lot of trial and error in figuring out what process works for you. The only way to do that is to put hours in, show up (physically and emotionally), and be okay with things taking time. With my digital work, I love to play and experiment; shifting colors and layering compositions quickly and intuitively. It has probably taken me up until now to get to that same process with painting, and I feel like I have barely scratched the surface.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
My professional career for the past 12 years has mainly consisted of working in the design and animation world; art directing commercials and creative projects for clients. I studied Digital Media at a university in Sydney (where I grew up) and eventually moved to NY in 2016. In the last couple of years, I have shifted my focus to incorporate my personal art practice so that I split my time between commercial clients and my studio. I find that jumping between the two worlds helps keep things interesting and fresh. This process allows me to engage in client work without draining all my creative energy, and also engage in my personal art practice without the pressure for it to support my livelihood. At the moment I am currently preparing for my first solo show in NY, which opens in early September. The exhibition is inspired by symbolism and mythology, and the recurring elements that show up in my work. I’m very excited!
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
I think when I first started out on my creative journey, I was hyper-focused on the idea of specializing in one thing. I thought focusing on one thing meant I was serious about my work, and if I could excel in my chosen field that would mean I had “made it”. I started my career working in motion graphics and illustration, and I thought that was the only medium I could or should express myself in. I quickly learned that I have a fleeting attention span, and am endlessly curious about other hobbies (creative and otherwise). I want to work on so many things, like learning how to make a quilt, or learn how to make sculptures, or write short stories – the list is endless! I always thought this meant I lacked discipline and meant that I would forever be scattered, but only recently in the last couple of years have I started to see it as a strength that helps inform my work in whatever form it takes. These days I am a lot more comfortable with dipping my toes in a lot of different projects and mediums, and I think it helps me stay engaged, inspired, and curious.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
I feel like I pivot a lot! The first time I did it was when I left my first job out of college in Sydney after working there for three years as a designer. I was pretty burnt out and over the industry, so had convinced myself that I would quit everything and do my Masters in Curating. Start fresh! Two weeks into the program I realised that I did not want to be back in school and dropped out. I think this was an important pivot for me, because even though Masters didn’t work out, it was a step forward that made me realize I definitely needed something to change, and leaving a job that was stressing me out was the right call. I think this made me learn that change is almost always a good thing, even if it doesn’t feel like it at the time.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.irenefeleo.com
- Instagram: @irenefeleo