Interviewing my painting: Inside-Outside
- Kathy L
- Jan 31
- 4 min read
Updated: Feb 3
Welcome to a series where I interview my paintings to introduce them to the world!
KL: "Our first guest is my recent painting, Inside-Outside. Thank you for being here today."
IO: "Happy to be here. I see you all the time, but we never really talk." A beat of hot, direct eye contact.
KL: "Right. Well, let’s start with your origin and inspiration. What was the first moment of your creation? How did it feel to emerge on the canvas?"
IO: "It was that really windy, cloudy day, remember? You had just come down from the roof, pulled out a couple of canvases, put on some music, and set up the lights. Dramatic weather always lights you up. Anyway, you were leaning over the canvas when you noticed the shadow of your headphones on your head. That’s where we started."
KL: "I remember! Those big, sunset-pink clouds were being heaved across the sky like greased elephants. I took so many pictures. The silhouette is mine, but that’s not my face. What part of me do you think you represent?"
IO: "I think I represent your worldview—how you think of everything in fractals. The opposing colors, the blue versus the yellow, highlight the duality of inside and outside. The face emerging from the back of the figure emphasizes how you see yourself as housed in a body that faces outward into a world you never actually touch. What’s that expression? The biochemical bodysuit."
KL: "That’s fascinating. What inspired your color palette and mood? Besides my worldview, that is."
IO: "You looooove using blues, but you rarely use yellow. It’s possibly your least favorite color."
KL: "I use yellow..."
IO: "Not like you use blues. But that’s the thing—I think this was about opposites, about dichotomy. You felt a separation between yourself and your internal experience, between the inner and outer world. The blunt blocks of yellow and blue, with little to no shading, reinforce that sense of division. The headphones and the face add to the feeling of isolation."
KL: "That makes sense. It sounds like a challenging concept to explore, let alone illustrate. What was the most difficult part of your creation? Were there moments when you doubted you’d come to life?"
IO: "Definitely. For one thing, you rarely start a painting with a plan—usually, it’s just doodling and goofing around until something hits you. But starting with your silhouette was a bold move. I half expected you to paint over it and forget about it. This was the most restrained I’ve seen you in the studio. Maybe that’s part of it."
KL: "I remember that. There were some sticky points for sure. Did we argue during your making, or did it flow easily?"
IO: Blank stare. Silence. "Yeahhhhhh. This was not a "flowing" situation. Remember when you stopped working on me for weeks because you didn’t know what to do next? Remember when you experimented with colors on the face and immediately regretted it? But we got there in the end. If I dare say so myself, you’re proud of me, of how I turned out."
KL: "I am! I don’t usually paint work like you, and I like it! But if you could change something about yourself, what would it be?"
IO: Shifts slightly in the easel. "Honestly? Nothing. But sometimes I think you wish you had mixed the colors more, instead of using them straight from the bottle. I know you’re insecure about not having gone to art school, and you fixate on little things like that to beat yourself up."
KL: "It’s a process. I’m working on it. Let’s try some rapid-fire questions and see what we uncover. Ready?"
IO: "Ready."
KL: "If you had to describe yourself in three words, what would they be?"
IO: "Quiet, alien, bold."
KL: "What emotion do you carry the strongest, and why?"
IO: "Loneliness. The face seems sad, with a furrowed brow, trapped in the blue silhouette of the body."
KL: "How do you think others feel when they see you for the first time?"
IO: "People don’t like me. I know that. In your last show, all the other paintings got comments, but not me. Maybe I make people uncomfortable. Maybe I’m too different from your other work."
KL: "That’s a good point. My work is meant to be enjoyed and purchased. Do you think we’ll stay connected, or are you ready to move on to a new home?"
IO: "I’ve given this some thought. I’d like to be in a counseling office—specifically, a children’s counseling office. I think I could help with conversations, maybe even inspire clients to draw and paint. Mostly, I want to show people who feel lonely that others feel that way too—that they aren’t actually alone. Or maybe that we all feel alone sometimes"
KL: "I can definitely see that. I could also see you in a bedroom or a library. I feel like I understand you pretty well, but this conversation has helped me get to know you even better. What do you wish I knew about you that I might not realize?"
IO: "You know those red rectangles in the bottom right corner? I know you love them—love how bright and thick the red paint is—and I agree. But if you notice, there’s a color progression from the canary yellow sky to the goldenrod palm to the red in the body. I don’t think you meant to do that, but it’s important—it shows that even in isolation, we are connected. What is outside is reflected inside, and vice versa."
KL: "I love that! That’s a beautiful message to end on. Thank you for talking with me. I’ve learned so much about you—and even about myself—in this process. Folks can go to https://www.kathylynott.com/portfolio-collections/my-portfolio/colorful-artistic-creations to learn more about you and the other paintings. I hope you find your new home soon!"
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