Q&A With Artist Chaya Hindy Neugarten

COLlive.com presents Art & Soul, featuring renowned and up and coming visual artists who specialize in Jewish and Chassidic scenes and themes and showcase their works. The feature is presented in cooperation with the Leviim Jewish Art Gallery in Crown Heights.

This week, meet Chaya Hindy Neugarten, an artist from Brooklyn, NY.

Hi! My name is Chaya Hindy Neugarten. I was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY My father is a sofer, who writes, sells, and checks, Sifrei Torah, Tefilin, Mezuzos, and Megillas. Growing up, when I’d get lucky he’d let me watch. He would dip the quill into the ink, and write. He has the most beautiful ksav. I can say I know where I get my creative side from!

How did you get into art?

Ever since I can remember, my parents always encouraged my creativity on every level. Whether it was voice lessons, food decorating classes, or going broke buying me endless amounts of painting supplies, I always had amazing creative outlets to turn to. At 16 years old, I sold custom decorated cakes and cookies. Now I’m busy with art and my other job as a makeup artist. Although my true passion is painting, whether it’s cookies and cream, lipstick, or paint, I continuously work to develop my skills, and techniques, so I can make something beautiful!

Creating is my calling. It’s the need to create that continues to inspire me.

How would you describe your art?

Most of my art is heavily textured, giving the illusion of depth, creating very life like results. It enriches expressivnes within the art, and the viewer. I created the hashtag #Texturedlikelife, because I wanted people to associate my work with life. Real life is bumpy. Its Textured. It doesn’t have neatly defined lines, and smooth surfaces. Its messy, rough and oh so colorful!

On a more emotional level, my art is an expression of me. If my art were a person I’d describe its traits as lots of curiosity, determination, and imagination, with so much to share with the world.

What work are you most proud of?

I was once asked to donate a painting that would be raffled off to an organization for children who lost a parent. It was a beautiful painting with a Torah and candles. I went home excited, to have gotten the opportunity to publicly display my art for the first time, while also knowing it was for a great cause.

The next day I got a message from the person who won the art. She explained that her husband has been in and out of the hospital for treatments. She said having won the painting made her feel a little better than she did in the morning, and like she got a hug from Hashem. My art creates feel sensations which can affect emotion in many ways. And so, I’m proud my work can portray that. It was a sad, but touching moment, one I will never forget.

What is your favorite part of being an artist?

I create because it’s a huge passion of mine, but ultimately, I believe I was given a talent so I can share it with the world. My favorite part of being an artist is that rush of emotion and thrill I get, stepping back and viewing a finished piece, as well as watching the emotion of people when they see my art.

It’s fun to be able to create unique works of art created just for a specific space. My works can be either statement pieces- dramatic, meant to be the focal point of the room. And accent pieces- low key, with colors and designs that pull the rest of the room into a cohesive design.

It’s also so exciting when inspiration hits. It can come from anything. I can be inspired by colors I see, an idea that came to life because of a spontaneous conversation with a friend, or by major milestones and events in a person’s life that I am witness to, like a wedding. I also enjoy creating from familiar scenes. It inspires me to be more inventive with my art.

What is the most challenging part of your work?

Being a creative, has so many fun, and not such fun parts to it. There’s the getting inspired, then endless amounts of time spent crafting the idea, and ultimately, creating a masterpiece. Though one of the hardest parts is being completely in the moment while creating. As a mom, and wife, life gets hectic. It’s still a daily practice to be 100% present whilst painting.

Though when I’m there fully, phone put away and in a clean studio space, and mind awake, I can create a true masterpiece.

Additionally, as human beings, we’re not always motivated to do the things we love. Painting is fun and the results can be astonishing, though its sometimes more fun to cozy up in bed and get some shut-eye #momlife. So it takes a certain amount of tenacity to get myself into the studio. It’s just like my exercise routine every morning. Those days where I don’t have the patience for a workout, I push myself to start, and as I get into it, I get the energy to continue. The same goes for my art and it’s very empowering.

Another challenging part is being vulnerable with my work. I love creating and almost always fall in love with the results, and yet I still have trepidation before sharing it. But I owe it to myself and the world to let it be seen. The beginning was especially rough since I was all over the place trying 100 different mediums until I discovered my own, unique, original style. Looking back I see how the process has created me, and will continue to do so.

What is your dream project?

Creating giant works of art on wood with endless amounts of resin, stones, dried flowers, and loads of glitter!

I wish to be able to continue sharing work that is beautiful and meaningful, in ways that will allow myself and others to view the world with a little more color and bling!

The Leviim Art Gallery will be having an opening show at their American Dream Mall location this Sunday, Dec 6th, 2-5pm.