The work of Valerie Roybal is stunning and so original, it's hard to compare her to any other artist. I love the simplicity of technique—paper strips and layering—and yet the pieces themselves look intricate and complicated. She seems to use great materials as well, like old letters and calligraphic papers, ledgers, etc. I would love to do a supply swap with her!
Name (Real or Screename): Valerie Roybal
URL (Blog, Website): www.valerieroybal.com and mydarlingdinosaur.etsy.com
Location (Where are you from?): Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA (I grew up in Santa Fe, New Mexico)
Q: Describe your work in 10 words or less.
A: Rhythmic, meditative, graphic, ephemeral, repurposed
Q: What do you like to work with (magazines, photographs, vintage)? Be specific!
A: My work is primarily composed of and/or inspired by vintage, salvaged, and collected materials. I enjoy the process of finding materials and the possibility of re-purposing them: reinventing use, intention, or aesthetic, and the transformation into something dissimilar or unexpected.
Much of my work frequently consists of layered surfaces: bits and pieces from discarded books and magazines, antique postcards, handwritten letters and recipes, obsolete reference material, thrift store textiles, my own prints and drawings, and mysterious random objects (I pick a lot of stuff up off of the ground). I also like to use India ink, paint, and colored pencil.
Q: How long have you been creating collages and what made you start?
A: Since childhood, I think I probably have a touch of ADD (attention deficit disorder), and get bored easily. Any way I can challenge myself is good, and I find creating abstract collage challenging.
Q: Are you solely an artist, or do you work in another profession?
A: I am also a graphic designer, editor, and part-time antiques/vintage/collectibles dealer.
Q: Do you have any formal art training?
A: Undergraduate training and many years of advanced and graduate education in printmaking and book arts.
Q: Explain your favourite techniques.
A: I try to work with whatever is on my desk at any given time. I rarely go looking for a specific material or particular visual *thing*, I work intuitively. I sort through what’s immediately available, and work with that. I have such an abundance of old books and ephemera in my studio that it would be overwhelming if I started with any particular material in mind. I also have lots of containers, bins, and small boxes of sorted materials around that I rotate through when I get stuck or bored.
Q: Describe your favourite piece ever created.
A: That’s a hard one, I feel like my work keeps evolving and changing over time, and so have my thoughts and ideas about my work. Recently, a piece called well-being 1 from a series called a study in well-being is my favourite.
Q: What other artists do you admire?
A: Richard Diebenkorn (particularly the New Mexico paintings), Rex Ray, Kiki Smith, Robert Rauschenberg, and lately I’ve been enamored with Camilla Engman and Olivia Jeffries, among others. I love that there is so much amazing art to be found and seen online, it’s so inspiring!
Thanks Valerie!
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just so nice to look at...such body and texture
Makes Lance Letscher's work come to mind.