Mic Boekelmann is a filipino-born modern portrait painter and art coach on a mission to highlight the unique stories of people. With a vibrant, warm and dynamic style, her art displays the beauty and inspiration she sees in the people she meets.
This love and excitement for connecting with individuals of different backgrounds were influenced by Mic’s childhood years growing up in the Philippines, Germany, Israel and the U.S. She believes there are more things that connect us than divide us. Her work creates opportunities for others to feel the same.
When Mic is not painting and hosting art workshops in her Princeton home studio, she enjoys exploring the world and checking out food joints with her swabian husband and two cool kids.
1. What’s your medium of choice and what do you love about it?
Oil on canvas: The #1 thing I love about oil paints is that it is FORGIVING. It doesn’t dry right away and since I’m not a perfect painter, I need time to push the paint around to make corrections or to get a better feel for the composition.
2. What are you working on right now? What’s on or in your camera/desk/easel/kiln/studio?
Right now, I’m working on a family portrait and on Adam – inspired by the book of Genesis in the Old Testament.
3. What practices/activities are most valuable to your creative process?
The most valuable practice to my creative process is: setting goals and putting them on a month-at-a-glance calendar. My responsibilities as a mom can easily take over, so that my creative goals are pushed to the side. If the creative process is indeed important to me, I need to put this on the calendar and set time aside to invest in it.
4. What’s one thing you want to share with others about your art and/or process?
Although my art is figurative, I never want to make it look technical. It’s important for me to show how I feel about the person or the situation through vibrant colors and brush strokes.
5. What advice would you give to your young artist self?
Your art will bring joy to others. Don’t keep it to yourself.
For more about Mic, visit her website.
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