ELLA: I wanted to ask you where you gained inspiration for your artworks. I noticed that you tend to gain inspiration anywhere from a flower in a windowsill to religion or the joys of childhood. Even medicine in the case of your piece ‘Infusion’ which I found very compelling. Could you tell me about your artistic process and what the creative process looks like for you? 

LYDIA: Well, I am painting from my everyday life experiences and my perspective as an African American woman with my faith in God. It’s based on how I perceive my day to day and how I deal with things that come up. For instance, the picture of the gentleman, the young man in the hooded shirt. My faith and my culture are intertwined in that. I have sons, and so I was moved by viewing them and seeing what they have to put up with living as young black American men today. Knowing that they were raised in a faith based environment, and seeing them praying, trying to do the right thing, and yet still our society and their way of viewing our young men, specifically in hoods, come across disparate. That also prompted me to make ‘Watch and Pray’. 

Lydia Watson. “Watch and Pray”, Pen and Ink with colored pencils, 2023.

LYDIA: With ‘Ride or Die’, that came from a long term relationship; My husband and I have been together for years. I’m not even gonna say how many…  just the ups and downs that a couple deals with, and if they just have a love for each other where they’re going to stick it out, through and through, no matter what that happens. That’s joy, that’s beautiful. 

ELLA: So would you say that your artwork is tied to your emotions and how certain topics or life events affect you? 

LYDIA: I think so, yes. 

Lydia Watson. “Ride of Die”, Pen and Ink with colored pencils, 2023. 

ELLA: I also noticed that your artworks have a lot of different types. You have these stippling ink drawings, and you’ve used a lot of different kinds of just materials. Do you have a favorite form or certain forms that you gravitate towards for different things? 

LYDIA: I try to allow myself the freedom of creativity. Of course, all artists like to say, ‘I do this, I do that’. I guess that’s part of being an artist… you want that freedom to create. But what I’ve been finding is I will focus on one discipline, and then when I revert and try to think about why I’m not sure. I’m going to say that covid and the effects of covid were very real for me. Being isolated for so long, what that does to your mind and your brain, it’s unbelievable. Because of that, I’m working now towards my art therapist license. I think I didn’t realize how badly covid had affected me, but because I’m an artist, I found something in stippling, and the action of making repeated dots for defining images. Through the dots and that repeated activity, I was able to actually heal from the effects of covid. So from that I’ve realized, ‘Oh my goodness, I got to learn art therapy, to be able to share it’. I want to share that with more people, because it’s not necessarily about the outcome. It’s the process of art that brings healing to individuals, and it actually is scientifically proven how it affects the brain – the dopamine and all the different aspects of the brain, how just producing art will bring healing to an individual. So my focus has been on stippling, I guess because I’m looking to create a collection of artwork, a cohesive collection. 

ELLA: Do you have an idea of what sort of topics or themes you might want to cover in that collection? 

LYDIA: I’m trying to leave myself open. So you’re gonna see your landscapes, your people, or you’re gonna see flowers. I like flowers so I’m going to do some flowers. I guess what I’m looking for would be the technique of stippling, dotting, to bring that to different images.

ELLA: You have a focus on making art for people’s spaces and their homes. What draws you to buy other people’s artwork? Is there an emotion or a feeling that you need to have in order to purchase something for your own home? 

LYDIA: Probably, yes, if I love a piece and it resonates with me, I’m gonna go ahead and buy it. Because at the same time, you’re supporting the artists and helping them to bring more forth. So if I love a piece, I’m buying it. 

ELLA: Do you have a philosophy when you’re making art, or an idea in your head of what great art is? What makes an artwork ‘great’? 

LYDIA: Well, I believe you’re always learning. Whatever talent I have, I believe that you can always build on that. I try to always be learning when it comes to the skills, the techniques that it takes to create a piece and keeping in mind the fundamentals: composition, technique, light, shadows, colors. I’m always learning, never arriving. Always changing, always learning, evolving. 

Lydia Watson. “Infusion”, Pen and Ink with colored pencils, 2022. 

ELLA: If you have anything that you want to share, something you’re working on or an event that’s happening, or just like a foundation that you want to plug…

LYDIA: I do have a website, watsartllc.com, on there you can find my events, current events, a little bit of work, a little bit more about me as an artist. Obviously, you’ve been there. What do you think about the website? 

ELLA: It was good! I thought it was easy to use, and you have a lot of work on there. I like that you put descriptions and where you got the inspiration from for your artworks. 

LYDIA: This fall, I have a solo exhibit. I should have at least 30 pictures on display at the Plainfield Public Library. I’m just trying to keep busy, and I love to present whatever is coming forth from me in the form of artwork. So, I’m constantly looking for places to show it. 

Some of Lydia’s work can be found in the W.O.W.: Women’s Outstanding Work exhibit at Art in the Atrium.

Lydia also currently has a solo exhibit at the Plainfield Public Library until January 11th titled “Embracing Stippling”.

You can see more artwork and learn more about her from her website (https://watsartllc.com/).