Art Interview with Zella Grote

An Art Interview with Zella Grote, by Kelsey Parker

Although it may have only been a matter of minutes for Zella and I’s friendship to form, it took multiple months for me to discover her deepest, darkest secret. Despite spending most moments as an inseparable duo, it wasn’t until about halfway through our freshman year at Santa Clara that I stumbled into her dorm room after class as usual, uninvited yet, always welcomed, only to find Zella preoccupied by a painting of the Mission Church. She carried on a completely normal conversation with me as she continued working, acting as if her skill set was normal and her artwork was average. As amazed as I was by her talent, I was in even more awe of her humbleness in regards to her work. However, the term humble doesn’t even begin to provide a clear depiction of Zella’s character, as it makes up only one of the many attributes that I admire about her. Though Zella would never mention her artistic abilities when meeting her for the first time, I’ve decided to take note of her talent and share her skill myself. Zella’s passion to pursue art has been a privilege to observe, mainly due to the level of devotion and patience that comes with completing a piece of work. As college students, it’s far too easy to become caught up in the constant chaos of academic rigor, responsibilities, and social events, leaving little room to partake in our favorite pastimes. Yet, Zella has managed to establish a way to balance all of the above, demonstrating that it is possible to continue doing what we love, despite a busy schedule. While I’ve witnessed Zella in her element on various occasions, asking about her art background has allowed me greater insight into her hidden talent, which I couldn’t be more eager to share with all of you.

Q: At what age did you first discover your love for art?

Zella: I’m not sure what age exactly, but I was definitely pretty young, probably around pre-school/kindergarten. It was also around this age that I stubbornly decided I didn’t like the art classes my mom enrolled me in, so in elementary school, I would just color at home or with my friends. 

Q: What is your favorite subject to draw/paint and why?

A: I love drawing people and faces because they’re so unique and intricate and there’s always room for improvement. I also love watercoloring landscape scenes or flowers with vibrant colors. 

Q: Which piece of work do you take most pride in?

A: Senior year of high school I did a detailed pencil drawing of a cow skull, which was assigned to study lighting and shading. I spent countless hours on this drawing and was very proud of the result, which was displayed at the Seattle Art Museum for a short period of time. A few more recent pieces include a final project I did for a watercoloring class of Italy, and a drawing collage of my roommate Megan Empey.

Q: What tips would you offer someone that is seeking to improve their art skills? 

A: Practice and have fun! This is probably an obvious answer but I can’t count the number of times I hear people say that they “wish they could draw” or that they’re “just bad at art.” You’d be surprised how much you can improve from practice or from following a tutorial. Not to mention, the more fun you’re having, the more you’ll like the outcome. Don’t stress too much!

Flowers (done during quarantine) inspired by Pinterest:

Q: What has helped you to grow as an artist?

A: Finally taking art classes in high school, (especially AP studio art) and doing classes in  college has definitely helped me grow by forcing me to do art more! I enjoy making things in my free time, but having a class time set aside and having assignments due has only increased the amount of time I spend doing art.

From AP Studio Art:

From Life Drawing course at SCU:

Q: Do you have any specific artists that have influenced the style of your work?

A: I’m inspired by a lot of artists who do hyper-realism, some of which I follow on Instagram, and have also stumbled upon a lot of inspiring pieces on Pinterest. However, there was one specific person that influenced my style growing up, and that was my grandpa. He is the only artist in my family and always brings his sketchbooks to show me when he comes to visit. His art focuses on realism as well, mostly oil paintings of landscapes, still-lifes, and figure drawing. He loves to get practice by doing a quick sketch of faces he sees around town and I’ve always been inspired by these. His pieces are beautiful and even from a very young age, he’d give me tips and constructive feedback on my own art.  

Some of his paintings:

For more of Zella’s work, be sure to check out: @ArtByZella on Instagram!