By Morgan Booth
Kyrra Kosar is a 21 year old painter and make-up artist working in Vancouver known for her use of delicate detail, and ability to capture the radiance of light. As an experienced Art Battle painter, Kyrra’s innovative use of washes combined with the poetic imagination of her work translate remarkably well from the studio into live painting. We can’t wait for Tuesday to see what another 20 minutes of Battle will yeild!
What brought you to Vancouver from Manitoba?
School brought me to Vancouver. I moved here about 2 years ago from Northern Manitoba to attend Vancouver Film School’s Makeup Design program.
How did you feel the first time you stepped up to the easel at Art Battle? Has the taste of battle left a lasting impression?
I was scared to death. I had never done anything like that before in terms of competitive painting. Once we started I relaxed and it turned out to be extremely exciting. Haha, yes, after finishing my first battle I felt amazing. It’s nice when you can challenge yourself. I can honestly say I’ve never tried to do a painting in such a short amount of time before, let alone in front of a room full of people.
How do you approach a blank canvas? Is there a difference in your approach in the studio vs in battle?
When I’m starting a painting at home, I generally stare at the canvas for quite a while. I look at all of the texture from the gesso and whatnot and see what I can find. Either that or I’ll paint a variation of a photo I’ve taken which is always fun. When I’m battling it’s a whole different story. I’ll usually have a scene in my head I’ve been wanting to paint for a while. But everything goes by so fast when the timer starts, I have no time to waste. I just start throwing washes down and building from there.
What is the importance of creative expression to you?
Creative expression is everything, really. It’s an outlet for me. I can relax and shut off everything that’s happening in life when I paint, and it’s something I can always find time to do.