In Full Bloom
SUMMER 2020 EDITIONA DIVINE ENTHUSIAST EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
Creative Direction / Photography | Natalie Milhouse
Location | Divine Enthusiast Magazine Studio
ODESSA HAMBRIC
As a self-taught artist specializing in realistic drawings and paintings of the human body, Odessa Hambric’s infatuation with expression has allowed her to intricately capture the characteristics of humanity, mind, and soul. While Odessa has been creating since age 11, she has more recently ventured into using new mediums, challenging her discomfort with taking risks in her artistry. Odessa is currently working on her first solo exhibition, which introduces a new layer of her craft and, in many ways, is a delicate metaphor for her matriculation as an artist.
Q
WHERE DOES YOUR CREATIVITY STEM FROM?
A
I get the crafting part of myself from my mom, but I've been drawing since I was in kindergarten. I used to do little sketches and sell them for a quarter. I would even bring polish to school to paint the girls' nails. I was always doing something creative, but I never realized that skill until I was much older.
Q
WHEN DID YOU START FOCUSING ON DRAWING REALISTIC PORTRAITS?
A
My first realistic drawing was in the sixth grade, and it was a portrait of a baby. It was so huge, and people were amazed. After that, I started putting my work in shows in high school to get more exposure.
Finding Comfort in Being Uncomfortable
Q
I LOVE SEEING THIS GRADUAL INCORPORATION OF PAINT IN YOUR PENCIL DRAWINGS. HOW DID IT INITIALLY FEEL EXPLORING NEW MEDIUMS?
A
I was always afraid to work with paint. If you look back at some of my shows, it would be me trying to talk myself into incorporating color into my portraits but asking myself, how do I do it where I feel safe about it. At that time, it was all about feeling safe and never taking the risk. I would do pencil portraits, but then I would put a color background, or I would smudge a little paint on the side, but not over the top of my image. Although I was feeling a bit more confident in myself and my craft, this still somewhat hurt me because the portrait wasn’t pristine. But I eventually stepped out and said, okay, let me just mix some colors. It’s refreshing to see my art evolve, but it took a lot of self-discipline.
Q
IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TAKING THAT LEAP INTO THE NEXT PHASE OF YOUR ARTISTRY, ESPECIALLY WHEN VENTURING INTO NEW TECHNIQUES. I SEE THAT YOU RECENTLY STARTED WORKING WITH OIL PAINT. CAN YOU TELL US WHAT WERE SOME OF YOUR DISCOVERIES WHILE WORKING WITH OIL PAINT?
A
So I struggled with this one. Because I’m painting on a raw cotton canvas, it’s absorbing all the oils and not going on smoothly. I have to go back over many layers, but at the same time, it’s making it look realistic. The hardest thing with oil paint is that you have to be consistent if you want to salvage your colors because overnight, they start to harden. So I’m finding myself mixing a lot of paint.
Botany
Q
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE LATEST SERIES YOU’RE CURATING?
A
So the show that I'm putting together, entitled Botany, is all about flowers and plants. I love this concept of merging women, or people with flowers because flowers, just like people, grow, wilt, and rot. Sometimes when they go through a rough time, you might have to snip away those dead ends so they can sprout again. It's so relatable. Many of the portraits in this series will represent naked women because it gives a very sensual, organic, and bare feeling, like the leaves or the petals of a flower. It almost brings this awareness and appreciation to life itself and how precious it is - and how important we are.
Q
HOW DO YOU PLAN ON BRINGING THIS VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF YOUR WORK TO THE PUBLIC?
A
Visually, I want it to feel like you're stepping into a botanical garden when you enter the gallery. The goal is for it to be visually enticing. I want the smells to be very floral and literally feel as if it's taking you somewhere else like you're stepping into the Garden of Eden. What's crazy about smell is that a lot of your memory comes from it. So when you step into my gallery, I want it to trigger you, and I want it to feel relatable. I want real flowers hanging from the ceilings and the lights to be dim and low, focusing on the art. I want to be able to entice you and overstimulate all of your senses so you can experience what I'm experiencing as best as possible.
(Inside) The Botany Collection
Inspired by singer/songwriter Sabrina Claudio's story of the shy girl with brown eyes, Odessa infuses this narrative as a thesis of the Botany series. We uncover the artists' story through the complexity of her first-ever oil painting, and how she has literally and figuratively poured her energy into the portrait.
Q
AS WE ARE CURRENTLY UNDERGOING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC, ONE THAT HAS FORCED US TO RETREAT INDOORS, WHAT HAS THIS MOMENT OF STILLNESS REVEALED FOR YOU?
A
This shelter in place has made me practice a lot of self-discipline. When you take all those distractions away, it's like, alright. Here I am.
So it takes a lot of self-discipline to keep going and pouring out my craft, but it becomes so personal. Waking up in the morning, having my routine, and having the goal set for my artwork are some things I've been practicing more lately. Sometimes I feel like, for artists, we put ourselves in this box to create. Still, it can sometimes be motivating, especially for myself, because I get a lot of motivation and inspiration from the natural things that I do.
““The best part of quarantine was that I was able to really set my scene and find what gets the creative juices going. When I stimulate the rest of my senses, all of it comes together. It’s all about sensory. ”
”
Artist Vibes
the exploration of senses and how it aids in the overall creative process
Sound
The type of music that I like to have playing in the background is something very instrumental. I want to hear the sounds and the beats - all of that. Sometimes I put on smooth jazz and just blast it throughout my home.
Scene
I’m able to work with my scene and do a dim lighting in an open space. Everywhere is dark except for the spot that I’m in.
Sip
Sometimes I’ll have a nice cocktail in my hand, in a pretty glass of course with a garnish. Typically gin.
Scent
I love candles so I’ll have floral scents in the air.
Q
WHAT DO YOU ENVISION FOR THE FUTURE OF YOUR ARTISTRY?
A
The next step for me is muraling. I want to teach myself how to mural so I can put my work on a huge canvas, an organic one that's naturally in the community. Being able to teach myself new mediums might be house paint or spray paint to show the world on a larger scale, my abilities, and how creative I can get.
While there’s clear relevance to Hambric’s infatuation with flowers and people, The Botany Series also mirrors her personal growth as both an artist and an individual. Odessa’s ability to simultaneously allow space for women to express their connections with the botanical while delicately intertwining her own emotions into each piece is an organic way of producing purposeful work. Like a flower, Odessa has planted the seeds of creativity and nourished them with the confidence to explore new mediums. The result? A delicate flower, in full bloom.
ODESSA’S BOTANY SHOWCASE IS SCHEDULED FOR LATE SUMMER 2020.
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