Micaela Fox
I first got into painting for the connection.
The summer before my senior year of high school, I knew my time at home was running short. My grandma lived next door and had painted for years, but she wasn’t painting anymore. I asked her to teach me oil painting, partly to get closer to her and partly to get closer to my little brother, who I convinced to come along. To my delight, and her humble hesitation, she said yes.
That was a long time ago. She’s still kickin’, but she retired her paintbrush years back. I still feel close to her with every stroke, and with every finished painting that makes her face light up with pride.
That connection stays with me in every sketch that becomes a painting, but it isn’t the only one I make. Sometimes it’s to God while I’m trying to capture the beauty of nature. Sometimes it’s to my brother, when I’m painting a deer. Sometimes it’s to a memory from a vacation.
Paintings are pretty and fun to look at. I paint for the connection.
Why I paint realism
My grandma painted landscapes and animals, using calendars and painting books as references. Now I study at an academy that teaches the process of Renaissance art, with room to dabble in other styles once we’ve learned the basics.
The biggest reason, though, is that abstract art is hard for my brain to grasp. My Highland Cow painting uses bright colors, and that was a real challenge for me. Even when I want to paint looser, my instinct is to make it look as realistic as possible.
Where I paint
- Oils: at the art studio I’m part of
- Watercolors and oil pastels: at my home studio
- Sidewalk chalk: wherever the event is held across Utah
- Ink: on vacation, since it’s the most portable medium I’ve found
Outside the studio
I’ve been married for four years to a supportive man who is the reason I feel confident enough to sell my art. I’ve been a registered nurse for five years and work on the float pool. My favorite unit is the emergency department because of the teamwork and camaraderie. I love caring for people and hope to bring a little comfort to someone having a very bad day.
I recently ran my first marathon, I guess that makes me a runner but for some reason I still don’t think of myself as one 😅 Because of the location the morning was stunning and I just kept thinking about how I could paint the sunrise or the herd of buffalo. I think the hardest part of the whole thing was the training and the day after when I could barely walk!
Put me in the mountains or at the beach and I’m happy. I read mostly fantasy and historical fiction. My latest favorite is the Farseer series by Robin Hobb, though I have mixed feelings about the ending.
