Mikaela Perry
Mikaela Perry (b. 1992) is an oil painter and former multi-generational farmer exploring themes of femininity, ancestral wisdom, and connection to land through her paintings. She received her BA in 2014 from Middlebury College and her MA from New York University in 2022. Building on techniques from the old masters and drawing particular inspiration from Sargent and Velázquez, she uses methods that were once taught almost exclusively to men to portray the divine feminine, women, animals, and nature. She has exhibited her paintings throughout the US, including the Smithsonian's affiliate Kay Dougherty Gallery in Solomons, MD; Culture Lab LIC in New York City; and D'Art Center in Norfolk, VA, and has been an artist in residence at Chashama’s ChaNorth Artist Residency Program. In 2023, she exhibited her first solo show at Solas Studio in the Flatiron District of New York City and was honored as a recipient of the NYC 40 Under 40: Rising Stars in Food Policy Award for her artistic representation of local food systems. Perry's work has been featured in the AQ Quarterly Journal Vol. 1 and written about by the City of New York’s Food Policy Center.
Contact
mikaelaperry.art
mikaelaperryart@gmail.com
@mikaelaperryart
Interview
What inspires your art practice and keeps you motivated?
I am inspired by my community and witnessing the very beautiful and fleeting moments I have with my loved ones. Inspiration strikes when I am having lunch with one of my best friends, and she shares a dream she had with me, and suddenly I want to paint a mystical portrait of her. It can also strike when I’m out on a hike or immersed in nature, and I cannot believe how beautiful this world is. Once inspiration strikes, I feel that it is my duty to at least sketch out and play with an idea. If it feels big enough, or motivation lingers after the initial flame of inspiration, that’s when I know the idea is worthy of being a larger, more time-consuming painting. Motivation will come and go in the many months it takes to finish a painting, but it’s my dedication to seeing my creations out in the world that truly helps me stay motivated in my practice.
How does your mission as an artist influence the work you create?
My mission is centered around creating community, and I have an underlying belief that almost every single one of my artworks is meant to be enjoyed by others. Sometimes this looks like showing a painting to my closest friends so we can share insights and know each other deeper, sometimes it’s sharing my paintings with a class of young students so I can show them that art is a viable career path, and sometimes it looks like ensuring that my paintings find the collectors who were absolutely meant to have that specific piece. I have found the more I create artwork, the more community seems to build around my practice, and that helps me to stay in alignment.
Can you share a key part of your creative process that helps you stay focused?
Every single one of my paintings has its own playlist. I curate playlists that feel the way I want the painting to feel, evoking the same emotions I hope it will evoke when it is finished. Because oil paintings can take many months to complete, I find that having these playlists can help me step back into the energy of any painting, even if I have taken a break from working on it for a while.
What mindset tip do you rely on to overcome challenges in your art career?
Affirmations continue to save me and serve me in my art career. When I’m not feeling my best, my career cannot be at its best. I start almost every morning with affirmations, EFT tapping, or visualization, so no matter what is happening in my business, I myself am grounded and remain dedicated to my practice.
How do you hope your art impacts the world or your community?
I hope my art inspires others to not only create themselves, but also connect more deeply to nature and the environment. I want those who see my artwork to feel a spark of emotion and feel inspired to connect more deeply to themself, to those around them, and to the earth.
