Makenna Hatter
October 11, 2022.
Makenna Hatter is a visual artist from Austin, Texas. She is a recent graduate of Texas State University, with a passion for connecting with people through paint, printmaking and drawing. During her time at the Fish Factory she focused predominantly on painting and worked both with the local community as well as engaging with the surrounding landscape and our Tumi!
You can find more of Makenna’s work on her website and Instagram.
“My initial intention for my residency was to create portraits of the residents of Stöðvarfjörður. After completing my first painting, (a double-portrait of a couple in their home) I shifted to painting landscapes. I realized that painting the landscape here would provide me with different opportunities to try new compositions and techniques. One of my goals for this residency was to try new things, and because I normally paint the figure, I realized that landscapes would be a great opportunity to really step outside my comfort zone.
Some of the techniques I experimented with included working on a smaller scale; creating simpler compositions; building simpler palettes; and pushing myself to employ “brushstroke economy.” I worked mostly alla prima, and I experimented with the “broken color” technique to investigate how saturated colors affect neutralized colors and vice versa. In doing this, I made valuable discoveries about how colors interact with each other.
My work this past month became as much, if not more, about my love of the painting process than about the subjects I painted. The luxuries of time and solitude here provided me with the ideal “laboratory” in which to experiment with new approaches I had not yet tried. I’m excited to use my newly discovered techniques in my future painting practice. Perhaps most importantly, this residency helped me develop a deeper sense of courage, both in my art practice and as a person.”
Thank you so much Makenna, we loved having you! Until next time.