Q. Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do.

        

A. My name is Summer Clinkscale and I'm an artist.  I was born in Washington, DC and began teaching after college for about 15 years until I felt this burning passion to get back to my art as I did before college.  I quit my teaching job on the spot to pursue my art career.  I took the time off during my career change to re-learn and study art again since I had been away from it for so long.  As an artist, I am constantly working to get better with my craft.  I have always created portraits using graphite and ink; my more recent works include acrylic paint, color pencils, and digital art.  I use bright colors in my work and I produce pieces of realism, still life and some abstract. I enjoy the aesthetics. Others have said my choice of bright color is a representation of my personality.

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Q. What was your formal introduction to the ART world and what about it did you find so enticing?

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​A. My formal introduction to art was when I was in High School and I had two art teachers in 11th and 12th grade that were very serious about art and saw my potential. They would give me more challenging assignments to see what I would come up with. I have always found it alluring with the color styles and tones and I felt my best when I was making art.

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Q. Did you foresee a future where you would be incorporating ART into your everyday life?

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A. Yes, the goal is to not only work in art but to be able to continue to produce art daily while working with the public to create meaningful murals to connect with the people of the city.

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Q. How are you using ART to make your very own mark on the world?

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A. I’m taking what I have learned so far and began sharing it with others through my work and Artist Talks.  I have done an Artist Talk with artistic teens at the Smithsonian ArtLab, a studio that encourages youth to follow their dreams and pursue their passions.  The experience I've had with the teens was empowering and I received positive feedback from the event.  I am always encouraging others to find what makes them happy in life and using my experience to share and guide others.

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Q.  Do you feel that art remains a necessity in the modern and future world?  If so, why?

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​A. Art is quite necessary... in our modern and future world.  We all have the ability to create art in some form or fashion.   Art is important because it allows us to look deeper and try and find meaning.  It also gives us the opportunity to have difficult conversations by showing images of truth, oppression, love and resilience.  Art gives the artist a voice to tell stories and share parts of them that they may not know how to share otherwise.

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Q.  How can you be reached?

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​A. I can be reached @sumartbysummer on Instagram.

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