Whitney Batres is a transplant to Oklahoma City, but is making her name here in a big way. She is known for paintings with beautiful, vibrant colors and shapes as well as textured, interesting mixed media collages, which have been on display at the Festival of the Arts for the last four years. We sat down with Batres to discuss her passion for art and promoting peace, one painting at a time.
LC: Tell us about your history with art.
WB: I know it’s clichéd, but I have always been an artist. Growing up, art was all I was really passionate about. When it came time for college, I didn’t even think about studying anything else. I went to UT Austin for studio art and have been creating ever since. Over the years, I have really found myself and my voice as an artist, and have become confident and consistent with my work. I became a full-time artist in the beginning of last year. I have also been lucky enough to teach art at Oklahoma Contemporary since last fall. I have a passion for creating and sharing art. I really love being able to talk about art with everyone, whether they have an artistic background or not.
LC: How would you describe your work?
WB: I’m a geometric abstract artist and think of my art as an ongoing conversation, with each piece having some connecting thread to the others. Over the years, I’ve developed a visual language and I have a mental dictionary of shapes and motifs that I call back on and weave through each new piece. The hope is that when people view my work, they can recognize this internal dialogue between the viewer and the paintings.
LC: What inspires you?
WB: A lot of my work is visually inspired by quilts and textile practices. These have traditionally been considered “women’s work” and there is even still some pushback from fine artists who don’t consider it “real art.” I come from a very long tradition of women who have practiced the textile arts as a form of necessity to keep their family clothed and warm. I doubt any of them would consider themselves artists, but when I look at the heirloom pieces I have inherited, it is absolutely a work of art. The skill and expertise that goes into creating those items—it’s just as much a piece of fine art as a painting on the wall of a museum. I’m very moved to use some of those designs in my own work.
LC: And you also make jewelry?
WB: Jewelry making was born more out of a desire to not waste supplies or materials. I feel immense guilt having to throw any paper away, because the water color and dyed cotton paper I use are expensive and also reflect my time. I spend a lot of time on creating the exact color that I want and found that I could turn the paper scraps into wearable art. Jewelry is also a more accessible option for people who maybe don’t have the budget or space for an original painting.
LC: What do you hope people feel when viewing your art?
WB: The world is so chaotic, I honestly just hope my art feels like a nice emotional break. I’m hoping it gives them a second of forgetting everything else that is happening and just feel at peace in that moment. If I can contribute to someone’s day in that way, that is all I need.
