.An Interview with Faye.

Why Do You Create Art ?

I have to. God gave me this talent. It’s something I started doing from a very young age. I was drawn to color, the way things look. How you can tell a story through a piece of art. It’s also been an escape for me. A place I can go to express myself. By myself. I do ask myself, “Who painted this? Who made that? I don’t even know. It’s always felt holy somehow.

Who or What Was an Early Influence in Your Art-Making? Family Member, Teacher, Friend?

As a child I went to Plato, a private Greek Orthodox School. My first grade teacher, Mrs. Schreifer, pinned a note to my uniform and told me to give it to my mother.

The note basically said, “Dear Mrs. Kleros, I’ve been teaching a long time. Children like to draw. But I think Faye is special. Please go see my good friend, Mrs. Miller, at The Village Academy of Fine Arts in Oak Park. Tell her I sent you”. My mother and I went.

The first thing Mrs. Miller said after hello was how old is your daughter? “6”. “I’m sorry she’s still too young. But, please come back in a year or two”. Then my mother handed her the note. She read it, looked at me with a big smile and said, “Well, OK! Let’s get started then.” She set up a still life, showed me to an art horse with a board, paper and oil pastels. Which were all new to me. She told me to take my time and she would be at her desk talking with my mother. “When you feel you’re finished bring it to me.”

I went at it. Loving those oil pastels and the smell and feel of being in that place. I finished. And brought it to her and my mom. Are you sure? There’s no rush, take your time.” I was sure. I flipped it over and she gasped. “Oh my! All my students start at 8 years old but I think in Fayes case we’re going to make an exception.” I began my formal education in art.

There was a judged art exhibit every year at the Oak Park Art League. That first year I won the blue ribbon in the Beginners category. I attended the Village Academy of Fine Arts in Oak Park until I started High School. In High School I majored in art and had the love and guidance of all the art teachers. My Painting and Fiber Arts teacher, Miss Kominski, was the one who actually took me herself to the American Academy of Art and the Art Institute for a look see.

Upon High School graduation I started the American Academy of Art. It was an academy of particularly high standards. And I realized real quick I wasn’t the best artist in my school anymore. I worked real hard and I got better all the time. Towards the end of my degree program in Advertising and Design my fundamentals art teacher, Mr. Wicke, said he wanted to talk to me in the hall. uh-oh.

We stepped outside the classroom where Mr. Wicke told me he chose three of the best students, me being one, from the school to interview for a big job opening, a junior art director position at Y&R. The Madison Avenue Agency, Young & Rubicam was the largest agency in the world at the time. He said, “Listen Greek, you’re really good, Y&R’s opening an office in Chicago. Here’s the number. Call them.” I got the interview with Ray Groff from the NY office who was setting up the art dept. There were tons of applicants, with experience, but Ray loved my portfolio and... I landed the job.

In true crazy advertising fashion, I finished the The American Academy of Art on Friday and started at Y&R on Saturday morning, feverishly working on a big Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer pitch. Ray was now my new angel/teacher.

Throughout my life I have been blessed with the best teachers and divine guidance that I could have ever hoped for.

Was There Ever a Specific Piece of Art That Captured Your Attention Early On? Certain Artist or Art Period?

Hands down the art that captured my attention early on was the Greek Orthodox religious art that I saw in my church, The Assumption. A Chicago landmark that is adorned with beautiful art, mosaics and stained glass windows. Every Wednesday we had Religion class for an hour. Mr. Demetralis was our religion teacher. A great story teller. He was blind but when he told a story I could actually envision it. Feel it. Instead of playing outside at recess I would go visit him in his chapel office. There he would read to me from his giant braille bible. When I’d go to church I would look for the saints we read about. I’d find them on the walls and windows. And all of this would bring the saints and the stories (which I totally believed as a kid) further to life. So I guess I was first drawn to byzantine art.

I Wrote That Your Greek Heritage Provides You inspiration in Your Art-Making. Is That Fair to Say? If so, in What Ways?

Totally fair to say. I’m inspired and drawn to the saints, the gods of mythology, ancient Greece and the Greek Revolutionary War and its heroes. When I went to visit the Acropolis Museum years ago I was amazed. No matter how I’ve tried to switch up my palette I always land back on the same colors. Turns out that the colors that make me happy are the exact same colors they used in ancient Greece to paint all the friezes. There’s a display that shows the powders the ancient Greeks made from natural sources in nature to create the paints. Come to think of it Greek Orthodox icons, stained glass and mosaics also use that same palette.

Can You Talk a Bit About Your Icons? Why the Use of Collage and the Pop-Culture References? Also, How Do You Go About Creating the Mats?

The icons started on the Sunday Sermon Church pamphlets handed out every Sunday at Holy Apostles Church. My daughter Epiphany was in Sunday School learning the same stories I had as a child and guess who was one her teachers? A much older Mr. Demetralis.

The pamphlets reminded me of the stories I loved. The idea for the saint collages came to me when I realized I couldn’t delve too deep into a painting because I was focused on spending time with my girl. So I’d set up her little easel and I’d help her along and then glue a piece or 2 from my scrap file collection whenever I could.

Back in the day in advertising we had to look for scrap to get a story or mood across. I had amassed a collection of scrap files through the years that I never tossed. I remember back when the Cultural Center had a scrap file collection for people in the business. I would spend hours there looking for images to convey my concepts.

The icons started coming to life using another skill that was now obsolete in advertising since the onset of computers. When I started in advertising every ad was done by hand. Wielding a mean Exacto knife was a skill that any art director worth their salt could do with precision. I loved it. I missed it. And I found a way to keep that skill alive with collage. A skill that helped me bring the stories of the saints to life again.

With Epiphany in Sunday school and me in church I thought wow. We’re still talking about these people and I’m still enthralled. My kid is now learning the same stories I grew up with. These people are truly legends. They are Rock Stars! Renegades! Saints! Worthy of continued adoration for their sacrifices. I still am moved by them all. The collages I create help to keep these stories fresh and alive as I try to tell the story through the collage. To keep a dialogue open to the depth and integrity of these people. The mats are all created using fabric that matches the colors of their clothes. Every color and pose is steeped in symbolism of what the Saint stands for. I then adorn the fabrics with golden threads. The mats represent the fabric of our faith and the threads of our everlasting religion that tie us all together through the ages.

The process of creating these collages has actually become like a religion in and of itself. Every piece that is found fits perfectly like a small miracle. Very reminiscent of the mosaics and stained glass pieces that are cut to fit perfectly together. So to me when the piece is finished it represents a series of small miracles that took place to create it.

There are miracles all around us, you just have to look for them.)