Monica Silva

About the Process

My artwork always begins with an idea, feeling, question or image that I can't fully express just using words. Usually it has to simmer for a while in the background, and I'll carry the question with me as I go about daily life. I make sketches with pencil and paper to map out and experiment with composition, for my 2D work as well as performances. I often choreograph my aerial and dance performances in my head while biking to and from work. For oil paintings, I start with thin layers of paint and build them up as the design takes shape. Oil is a slow process for me, and it takes me many days to finish a piece. When I feel I need more looseness and flow, I turn to acrylics. One of my favorite techniques is scratch painting, where I have to move very quickly to scratch a design into wet paint before it dries. I also love block printing for the element of chance and unexpected results that inevitably show up when I carve the block and create the prints. An essential part of my workspace is room to move and floor space. Obviously, if I'm choreographing a performance that requires space, but even when I paint I'm moving around constantly; there's a physical aspect to discovering how the design needs to show up.