Emma Bazan, otherwise known as BellaAndBunny, is a first
generation Italian American, born and raised in New York City, and is currently
residing in Brooklyn. Emma took a few fine art classes in her days of study, and then
majored in Illustration at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Shortly after, she
moved towards a different direction as an artist, and began working as a makeup
artist in the beauty and fashion industry. Today, Emma splits her time between illustration
and makeup, but these days she finds herself in her studio more often. When she is not drawing and painting, you can spot her cooking in her kitchen and working
on collecting her family recipes.
When and why did you start drawing and
painting?
Like most, I was introduced to painting and drawing at a young
age.
In grade school, I had a very inspirational art teacher who took
notice of my artistic capabilities. She gave me the opportunity to join an art
club where we had weekly painting sessions, painted school murals, and entered
competitions. Since then, I have never
let go of a paintbrush. The process alone is wonderful – I really love holding a brush, dipping it into
paint, and transferring that over to paper. It is a really, really great
feeling.
You use watercolours for most of your art. What is the
reason for this choice of medium?
In art school, we would do quick figure studies in ink. I really
liked the fluidity of that medium. I was also inspired by artists who used
these mediums (watercolor and ink), and they really pushed me into
experimenting with them, too. I love how soft yet vivid they can be at once; it
really suits the style of my work.
If you could choose one piece of your original work that wholly
represents you, your style or your main concept, which would that be and why?
This is a tough question, I never thought of only one of my
works wholly representing me, and of course I find that all of my work hold
bits and pieces.
But, if you insist, I guess I would have to go with Wish We Were Butterflies. She is a daydreamer
who believes in magic, and is a sensitive soul who wears her heart on her
sleeve. I can relate to her the most. Oh, and let us not forget; she is surrounded
by butterflies, one of my favourite creatures.
What’s the motivation behind your choice to illustrate portraits
of girls and things in nature?
I am always looking to bring joy and beauty into my life, and
nature is just that for me. I find that portraits can really capture this
beauty and bring it to a more personal place. Everyone has a favorite animal,
flower, insect or something they relate to. We connect ourselves to them by means
of symbolism, stories, mythology, and emotion. The girls that I paint are no
one in particular but are concepts of these qualities. However, not all of my
works are so conceptual; sometimes it is pretty straightforward and simple. It
might just be a lovely painting of a bird on a branch, and that alone can speak
to someone’s heart.
How did you develop your style of art now, and were you
influenced by any other artist?
A lot of my influences come from other artists. I used to paint
with acrylics and chalk pastels, until I came across Stina Persson's work
and fell in love with her vivid watercolor fashion illustrations. It
was so inspiring that I bought myself a whole bunch of inks and started
painting with them. At first I tried painting like her, and of course,
that did not work. So I stopped trying, and just painted. Style just develops.
What are you currently working on? Would you be exploring
different subjects (e.g. portraits of boys or landscapes etc) in the future?
No project in particular, though I just finished up an
illustration for a stationery company, which was very exciting for me. I am currently
working on some new concepts for paintings to add to my Etsy shop. As for
exploring different subjects – I’m not sure if I can pull off portraits of boys.
I think my work might be too dainty and delicate. I will think about it.
What is the strangest thing that has influenced a piece
of work?
I remember coming across a silver Christmas ornament that had a very Moroccan pattern,
and the thought of a peacock immediately popped into my head. The pattern made
me think of the circles on its feathers. I remember going home, sketching
ideas, and later painting a peacock with patterns similar to the ornament. I
love when things like that influence me; it makes creating a lot
more spontaneous.
