BY ADAM BLANCHARD/Cardinal Points
Art major Calico Withall’s passion for painting started early in her life, with her mother being her biggest influence. Withall’s mother, an artist, had a studio in her house. Withall said she would watch her mother create art and began to love the medium as a result.
“There was never a doubt in my head that painting, or art, was what I wanted to do,” Withall said. “From as long as I can remember, it’s always been my thing.”
Originally from New Paltz, Withall attended Ulster County Community College prior to SUNY Plattsburgh where she concentrated in painting. Now a senior at SUNY Plattsburgh, Withall maintains her concentration in painting. Withall said her favorite subjects to produce are portraits. She said she enjoys the complexity of telling a person’s story through a painting. Withall said she also enjoys painting still lives, but has never found landscapes fun to create.
When making portraits, Withall focuses on color theory to make her pieces unique. Her current series, “Human After All,” aims to show love for everyday activities through specific color choices. One piece in the series, “Out of Place,” consists of Withall straightening her hair in the bathroom, which uses a variety of colors such as neon green for the bathroom tiles in the background as well as dark blues and purples for the figure. Withall said her professors consider her work contemporary in terms of topic and general style.
“I don’t know where it comes from, but color is one of my favorite things in the world,” Withall said. “So bringing it to my art is just second nature.”
Withall said she hopes that these colors help bring about the emotional aspects of mundane activities. She said she hopes that people can relate to the content in her paintings.
“It’s about describing what it means to be human and taking ordinary human experiences and portraying that,” Withall said. “When people look at my art, I want them to see a piece of themselves in it.”
When starting on a painting, Withall begins by thinking about an issue to tackle that will fit into her overall theme. For example, in her piece, “Out of Place,” Withall said she wanted to create a commentary on fitting into societal norms. After coming up with an idea, Withall gathers reference pictures and projects one that best fits her vision onto her canvas and begins the painting process. She said she works section by section, concentrating on a single object or area of the painting until the canvas is filled.
Withall has submitted and has had multiple artworks in exhibitions. This semester, Withall has a piece in the Myers Lobby Gallery as part of the “Studio Select” Exhibition. Withall has also had work in the “Best of SUNY” exhibition on two separate occasions. Withall said she submitted another piece to “Best of SUNY” this semester.
“I don’t exist without art, it’s everything to me.” Withall said. “The world would be such a different place if we didn’t have art.”
To see more of Withall’s art, check out her Instagram, @calicoivvy.
