Tricia Marquez-Roxas: Artist [TCL 21]
I discovered Tricia and her work through her #happysnowflakeproject on Instagram. I bought a set of watercolor snowflake postcards and shipped one out to my aunt over the holidays. Since then we’ve connected over social media where she shares snapshots of her family and her passion for art.
Let’s begin with your journey. How did you get started as an artist and how did you arrive at where you are today?
I’m not sure when I ever started becoming an artist.
I recall how at a young age my parents exposed me to art, music and sports. How I found myself back into it is a hodgepodge of circumstance, opportunity, need and want. There was an overall need to visually see things that make one think and feel happy, serene and good about life.
I always keep an art stash that I can whip out anytime for a quick watercolor. I can’t draw even if my life depended on it and so I usually have this watercolor lesson book with me that I used as an art peg. When I had kids, books and my art stash doubled as my entertainment S.O.S. kit on-the-go.
After I had my 2nd child, I was diagnosed with postpartum hyperthyroidism. Knowing what potential rage and stress I can expose my family to because of this condition and not wanting to stop nursing, I went for alternative options since that meant refusing medicines. I encountered research materials that explained that when the thyroid is dysfunctional, it affects our creative hormones. I figured with a boost of creative activities, I can offset the effects and keep myself at bay. And so entered my venture into makeup artistry. Layo ba?
I was more than happy to start an adventure as a makeup artist. With my experience and exposure to the market, I felt so blessed to have met people who felt beautiful and happy after our encounter and most of all grateful, for the friendships I got to keep. There was something about being a makeup artist that endows you with the responsibility of making others embrace what is already beautiful about them and helping them discover themselves. Parang fairy godmother lang ang peg. It enables the good side.
In 2012, I suffered a miscarriage and a lot of things had to take the back seat, including makeup work. I struggled with lurking depression (or what felt like it) and hatred sinking into my system. It doesn’t help that so many dismiss miscarriage and depression as something that is passing through or that can be dealt with easily. It is difficult and it should not be taken lightly.
With 6 weeks of prescribed home detention, I found myself seeking sanctuary in art. Since I cannot go up and down the stairs, I would go down to send my family off to work and school, stay down in my weathered and worn out dining table and paint almost whole day until I grew tired or sometimes, until they arrived back. Then I head back to my bed in anticipation of the next day. I kept my journal entries brief as I deliberately avoided banking memory that would only compound into negative feelings.
I did not want to remember the bad. I sought only the good and the grace in my situation. And my art, at the time, simple and repetitive as they were, I believe would show that. That despite being recluse, and somewhat sad, obviously struggling with a loss I wasn’t prepared for, I was hanging onto hope and unraveling the joy I had in the midst of suffering.
There is joy. There is joy in suffering where you trust and surrender in God’s plan for you. There is purpose to all of it.
One year later, I saw how my kids are quite interested in art. My eldest daughter Gaby and I took a calligraphy workshop together and while I took it as mommy-daughter time with her, eventually I found myself going alone for my own down time. This paved the way for a world of watercolor, ink, pencils, material, textures, techniques that I had not yet discovered.
So that brings me here. And I can only think of one adage that will probably explain where I am at or where art takes me. Bloom where you’re planted.
Who inspires you? Who or what do you consider strong influences over your art?
The spontaneity of my children is what inspires me. They are borderless, unafraid, unguarded and limitless in their experimentations. Flanked by structure, I thrive in their carefree attempts at art.
The inborn, innate goodness that I believe man possesses- is also an inspiration I draw from. I believe in goodness. I believe that if people invested in goodness, there will be enough to go around and we can really live in a better world.
I love art that draws light, hope, happiness and serenity that it makes you want to do something nice. In a way, I think art evokes kindness or a certain sensitivity or empathy to an emotion.
How do you come up with ideas and, essentially, break the blank canvas?
Inspiration can strike anytime. A happy sighting, an all too familiar tune brings up a memory, random ideas, one idea that turn out as series, an interesting color or a particularly happy shape, somebody or an emotion I feel or struggle with—these are my prompts.
Patterns, repetitions, lines, shapes, landscapes, the sky, clouds, grass, leaves, outlines, textures, doors, ceilings, floors — all of these things call to me. If I feel a little low, I turn to art and it gives me a lot of comfort and relief. Inspiration is everywhere. Creative people succeeding also inspires me. I revel in their success.
What goes into each piece of work?
A moment of inspiration. A particular shape in mind. Love for color or obsession over a particular palette. Texture and Material. Experimentations. That goal of representing happiness. Top it off with time, it’s a mish-mash of all those ingredients until I hit that “yeah, this is it” moment.
No work is final until it hits my happy mark. What is important for me is to finish. My goal is to radiate happy and joy in an already pessimistic, dark world. To entice the child in us and make us recall our Crayola crayons and that yellow Lion watercolor set we used to freely paint with in school. I suppose its seems a tad childish, but that’s what I want my work to invite.
Do you have a piece of work that you consider particularly significant, that you have an emotional relationship with?
I started with trees. I wanted to call them “the good seed trees” though they looked more like bubbles on trees. The trees were during my miscarriage — they reminded me of growth, nurturing, healing, family. They were simple and direct.
Then I discovered snowflakes. I had just taken a workshop and I saw this snowflake décor at home. Enter #thehappysnowflakeproject. It helps that along the way, we get to meet people, also art advocates and artists themselves, who enable and encourage.
I wanted to have a sense of Christmas all year round. I was too undecided to sell my postcard arts for a fee that I decided that the proceeds would go to private charities so my art had a purpose. Thankfully, my first batch of prints were all sold out and I’m working on my second batch.
Then I dabbled sparingly in pencil, ink and calligraphy. In my case it evolved more as lettering for lack of precise practice. The lettering or faux calligraphy attempts were more words that called to me—direct expressions of what my thought process.
Then I have this loopy art thing. Each piece starts randomly then I finish off with a story or a scenario I wanted to convey based on the shape of things. The loopy art is my attempt at spontaneity. I draw a random loop and let imagination and doodling merge. Somehow, this always ended up with some mother and daughter related patterns.
Lately, I’ve explored the use of lines and repetition. Don’t know yet where that will take me. I want to try and mix media.
I had super few pencil attempts, mostly intricate jewelry or pattern designs. Maybe one of these days, I will have them made into some actual pieces.
Every piece of art hasmeaning. It’s hard to play favorites. They each tell a story.
What is your biggest struggle or fear as a painter/artist? More importantly, how are you able to manage such challenges?
Time and to make time. Creative spontaneity. To be unafraid . To be myself. To learn how to create from scratch because everything is inspired by something or someone. To finish.
One of the biggest challenges creatives struggle with is finishing what they’ve started. We get so caught up with an idea, only to realize that it’s a lot harder than it seems. The end result is an unfinished piece. What are your best tips to starting and finishing a project?
In my corporate career, being unfinished is a constant. There is routine, there is the constant changing of demands and unlimited to do’s—nothing gets done or is ever really finished. Everything is ongoing. So when it comes to art, I make sure it’s the opposite.
I prep my paper, lay them out and sit for hours, during meals even, till the piece gets done. I have to be happy and that means I have to finish. There are pieces I leave out for another day or month to finish too, but that’s inspiration-driven. I try to avoid not finishing.
You have an Instagram account where you share snapshots of your works with your network. What’s the experience like and its results?
I like sharing my art and getting some good feedback. That said, I stand by how I see myself in the landscape of things — somewhere extraordinary in the sidelines.
If people connect with me, if they get the point or if I make them happy with the piece, then that makes me happy.
What is the most important thing people should know about you as a creative?
Light, love and life.
I want to express that side of life. We are already so exposed to many reality checks, the dark side of life and humanity — that I want to bring in something else. I want my contribution, if any, to be about hope and resilience, to exude happiness and positivity, to be a about life changing effects of simple kindness, to encourage and build on family and friendships- to really emphasize God and goodness. I think that it’s a responsible thing to do at this age of pessimism and social media frenzy.
What do you aspire for? What steps do you intend to take to get to that point?
Oh my God! I have no ambition hahaha. Is that a problem? I think having none takes away the pretense and allows me to be me. For now, anything goes. If there’s anything short term, some people encourage me to get into merchandizing. I think that infuses purpose into art and maybe sell for a cause. If it happens, it happens.
What book would you recommend to fellow creatives?
Wow! So many. I like floral coffee table books for some reason. Anything that has floral inspiration always looks beautiful and inspiring.
What is your favorite tool to use when creating work?
The thinnest possible brush and white paint, white ink and a nice black archival pen. And those portable watercolors. Your question is delikado. I’m a pen and tool hoarder. So I’m mentioning my “indispensables.”
What advice can you give to the young creative starting out?
Just start. Don’t wait. Don’t plan too much. Don’t plan too little. And it doesn’t matter what your age is. Just go for it.
Continue learning. Share what you learn. Be uplifting always. Contribute to bringing goodness and light to the surface with your art.
Art is not just expression. There has to be purpose. Purpose comes to being when it becomes life-giving to others. Give your purpose a voice.
How can the community best support you and your work as an artist?
Genuine appreciation is always encouraging. Whenever there’s a chance to support/promote personal causes where art is used as an instrument to help, support and help is a welcome bonus!
