The Artist Diaries with Kristen Palana

Mixed Media

I draw the world not as it is but how I wish it could be. I use symbols, icons, and patterns with cross-cultural significance combined with color psychology to help soothe, heal, and reinvigorate weary idealists. Inspired by the lofty mission statements and development goals used by the world’s top organizations, my images are a call to action to visualize better outcomes for our lives, communities, and the planet.

As an American/Portuguese digital artist and animator living in developing countries over the past seven years, my creative process has gradually been shaped by a lack of reliable internet connectivity and frequent power outages. Since 2021, I’ve reconnected with my fine art roots and now delight in making “slow art” off the grid that requires no electricity or glowing screens. Each mark placed in a drawing mimics the stitches that lovingly make up an elaborate quilt or the single frames that slowly add up to a few minutes of animation.

In my mixed media work, I layer colors, lines, and dots using fine-tipped ink and watercolor brush pens with dabs of acrylic and metallic paint on vellum or canvas. The drawing process is a form of meditation that enables me to tap into a higher level of consciousness and rich artistic traditions that are thousands of years old. I’m especially drawn to the intricate patterns and vibrant colors found in Asian and African traditional clothing, baskets, ceramics, and local handicrafts made from raw and natural materials. Western influences include stained-glass windows as well as the bold dark outlines and visual framing structures found in cartoons and graphic novels.

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