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Art medium(s): Embroidery/textile art, oil/acrylic paint, charcoal, colored pencil, mural art.

How do you describe your art? My art so far has mostly been an experimental process across a wide variety of mediums. Since practicing in college, I have found that embroidery is one of my favorites. In my art, I am most interested in portraiture and sharp, vibrant colors. I’ve recently been involved in creating portraits with a unique color palette so my subjects and their personality stand out as I see them best.

Were you always interested in following a creative path? Yes! I was always a creative child. I grew up making art with my grandmother who was a mural artist. Also, I won a yearbook competition in 6th grade, and my piece was on the cover! From there, I chose to study art at UW-Green Bay, and this spring I will be graduating with a degree in Art Education! It is my hope to start my career as an art teacher this coming fall.

What does your “day-in-the-life” as an artist look like? It’s quite a bit of bouncing around, especially being in school. In general, I appreciate working on multiple projects at once since it keeps me busy, and I always have a fresh perspective when working on something long-term. My favorite is to work on art at night, typically after supper. There’s something exciting about having my day come to an end, but then turning on upbeat music, standing at an easel and feeling like I am dancing through my painting or drawing. It is impressive how much energy I have in those moments, even if it’s 9 p.m. When I embroider, however, I enjoy that I can sit on the couch and “watch” a movie and relax while I create.

Where do you get your creative inspiration? The people around me! There’s something about making work that portrays the people I know that is so inspiring to me. I love watching the eyes, nose, mouth and entire face come to life when I work.

Why do you love what you do? Ultimately, it feels good to make something with my own hands and have myself and others appreciate it. It’s relaxing and rewarding. It’s something I put my all into, and it feels like a meditation when I am in the middle of it since I can shut off every part of my brain when I make art.

What is your personal favorite piece to date? In regards to my own work, my favorite is a portrait I just completed called “My Nerd” of my boyfriend, Levi. It is made entirely of Nerds with resin over the top.

Favorite fellow artist: Wassily Kandinsky. Not only do I love his name, but through studying him, I discovered that he created art through sound. He would listen to a song and make colorful paintings from it. I really love that.

Early bird or night owl? Night owl.

Music/podcasts while working or silence? Music for sure, usually alternative (I’m a big fan of “Say It Ain’t So” by Weezer when I’m working at night).

What makes you happiest: The people in my life. Spending time with my family and friends makes me a very happy person.

Find Hallie on Instagram @artbyhalliedix, Facebook @PaintWithHallie and at https://dixhallie.wixsite.com/paintwithhallie