Sunday, May 22, 2016

The Versatility of Paint

When I step foot onstage on June 7th to perform my talent, I am representing much more than just myself.

The decision to present "speed painting" as my talent for that portion of the competition at the Miss Kansas pageant was made 3 years ago, two years after the first time I had attempted speed painting at all during a high school assembly with our jazz band.

What I want to convey to you is the application of speed painting in the real world, the vast amount of preparation and work that goes in to this kind of talent, and the circle of people surrounding me that have been imperative in the success of bringing speed painting to the Miss Kansas stage.

Annika Wooton, Miss Wooded HIlls, Miss Kansas


When not speed painting in the Miss Kansas competition, I am a full-time student at the University of Kansas studying illustration as well as a student manager at the largest dining hall on campus. I have used some of the ideas and techniques learned in my studios to lend themselves to coming up with compositions, color combinations and subject matter for my performances. However the live painting is not limited to the 90 second competition piece. I have been invited to paint at 14 individual events since the fall semester began in three different states, completing over 20 paintings that have been donated to the event or organization to then be auctioned off for charity or kept in the schools that I spoke to. To have the gift of painting innately in my fingertips and then explored and developed so that I can present it many different ways to a variety of audiences sparks a wonderful conversation of the importance of art and creativity in our society today.

Not only can the art I do be translated to live painting performances, but I am able to donate my more meditated work to auctions for causes I care about. I can take coloring books - for both children and young adults, alike - into the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and connect with them while we engage in the act of simply coloring together - making genuine connections through a commonality that we all share as a human race - the need for self expression, which often can be attained through some kind of art.

Annika Wooton, Miss Wooded HIlls, Miss Kansas


The moment the music starts and my brushes start whirring and the clock is counting down is the most anticipated moment of the competition for me. The gears in my head started turning for this year's concept the day after Miss Kansas last year. Since then, I have collaborated with more people than I can count to come up with the image and performance I will present in less than 20 days. I have a team that stretches from Virginia to West Virginia to Tennessee to Missouri to New Mexico to Kansas - creative minds giving me feedback and ideas to help further my success on this road less followed.

While most talents on the Miss Kansas stage can be coached by a dance teacher, a vocal coach, or a music instructor...who coaches speed painting? I was incredibly fortunate this year to be able to meet up with Mike Debus - a performance painter from Overland Park, Kansas. As it turns out, he also studied illustration at KU and had some of my same instructors. Mike patiently listened as I explained my concept and gave me some tips and advice that has helped me jump a few hurdles before I even got to them. I am so thankful I was able to connect with Mike and pick his brain because there are so few of us who do what we do, and it was so cool to find someone in my area who not only "gets it", but also does it professionally.

So normally after Miss Kansas, I write a blog that picks apart the entire process I've gone through to come to the final product of the painting performance, complete with pictures. I'll probably do that again this year, but for the sake of trying to explain this whole process but also not reveal anything, I will give a "brief" overview:

Ideas are tossed around, generally between me and my dad, of subject matter - what will appeal to the audience, is something I'm interested in painting, and am capable of painting in 90 seconds? Okay next, what am I going to paint on? Glass? Canvas? Paper? What kind of easel or contraption? Last year's allowed me to paint while facing the audience and in three separate pieces. I work with a man named Cotter in the shop at KU's art building to fabricate these monstrous tools to help present my painting in the best way possible. Next is music, I'm lucky to know a few people who can masterfully edit tracks to cut to time or rearrange to have awesome musical embellishments that compliment my work. A lot of it from there on out is mental - listening to the music over and over again, figuring out what will be painted at what time, sketching to make sure I have the best composition and best image for my concept, and coming up with choreographed moments to engage with the audience. Don't even get me started on costuming...! Finally, the best and most stressful part is putting it all together. Once exams are done and my priority is no longer my school work, I have a few weeks to make this really happen. And imagine, too, I can't paint it over and over, back to back. I do a run, wait for it to dry, paint it basic again, wait for it to dry, then I can finally do another run. This gives me time to carefully assess how to improve each time but also consumes a lot of time (and paint).

Then I perform and deliver.

Annika Wooton, Miss Wooded HIlls, Miss Kansas


I mentioned the people that I work with a little bit in that last section, but I want to emphasize the importance of the circle of people I am surrounded by who truly push me to the standard I hold myself to today.

I'm thankful for the connections I've made that have allowed me to push myself further and further each year. Teachers from high school have turned into some of my best friends and continue to encourage me and throw new ideas my way. Current professors and faculty in the art school at KU express interest in what I'm doing, going as far to help me build whole crazy easels. My local directors are a vital support system - my ultimate cheerleaders the entire way. My brother is my best and worst critique, telling me sometimes what I already know but I really need to hear, giving me the cold hard truth, but also giving out high fives when awesome things happen. Several other mentors and friends have given me their time and thoughts all with the supportive nod that they support what I do and what I stand for.

Annika Wooton, Miss Wooded HIlls, Miss Kansas
As I embark through Miss Kansas week and get ready to present the next big speed painting performance in just a handful of days, I can't tell you how excited I am. I can say in complete certainty that I have loved this year's journey, but I am SO excited about the destination and the performance that you all will see. It's been so hard to contain myself the past week as major improvements and realizations have been made, but it will all come to fruition June 7th, and hopefully again on June 11th, on the Miss Kansas stage. I hope to see you there.

- Annika Wooton
Artist and Speed Painter
Miss Wooded Hills 2016

Tickets for Miss Kansas available at the following link:
http://misskansas.org/miss/miss-kansas/ticket-sales.html