Experiencing art makes all the difference

Concord resident Carissa Fei holds a variety of freelance jobs, including dog-walking and delivery services, but her dream is to pursue art full-time.

“My interest in anime started in seventh grade,” Fei says. “One of my friends loved drawing anime so much that I decided I wanted to do it too. I started taking art classes to learn the basics like perspective, composition and color. Japanese anime has a very interesting color palette that you don’t always see here in the U.S.”

She finds inspiration in many Japanese artists, including Takashi Murakami, Makoto Shinkai and Masaaki Yuasa. “I’ve actually met Yuasa – that was surreal to meet a real Japanese animator.” she says.

After studying illustration in college, Fei explored many different paths of creative expression.

“By experimenting with lots of different materials, I have learned more about composition,” Fei notes. “For example, I’ve made costumes for anime conventions. With cosplay, you get to know different types of fabrics and learn how colors work together best to fit a person’s body.”

Fei works with a variety of mediums and styles for painting on canvas, drawing for reproducing prints and creating murals. “I really like acrylics because they dry quickly. I like layering and just painting over mistakes,” she says.

“Painting with watercolors is more strategic but also nice because it’s portable and you can reactivate the colors. For speed and flexibility, digital art is the way to go.”

Her concepts derive from many places. “Sometimes I’ll base it on music that feels ethereal or soothing, and sometimes I’m inspired by a funny graphic or meme on the internet,” she says. “With a lot of my illustration work, I want you to laugh and have fun with it. Sometimes we like silly things and that’s OK.”

Music and Market

Fei, who has lived in Concord about 10 years, was recently awarded the opportunity to paint a utility box downtown to celebrate Concord’s Music & Market series.

“I like that we have an arts community that’s doing their best to connect with people here in Concord. New opportunities await me now that I’ve created public art,” she says enthusiastically.

Fei believes that art makes life more worth living.

“I feel that experiencing art is important for both the artist and the viewer. You can change people’s minds and hearts with art and expose them to lots of interesting things about the world.”

Lisa Fulmer is a marketing consultant, published author and a community arts advocate.