Meet Ileyna Witenstien | Artist & art teacher

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ileyna Witenstien and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ileyna, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I think risk taking is imperative in life and in your career. Specifically with my art, I am always taking risks. Weather that’s with what i’m physically creating or putting out in the world. I think that sometimes my art can make people uncomfortable because I create raw emotions in my paintings. I want people to feel something when they look at my art and if that feeling is being uncomfortable, then I did my job and took a risk with my art. Moreover, I took a risk with my teaching career as well. I went into college wanting to be a full-time artist. During that time, I realized I needed something more. For me, that was teaching. When I decided I wanted to add education as a major in college, I was still unsure about it because that was something that had never crossed my mind. As a kid, I didn’t like school, and I was very quiet. I didn’t think I had the confidence to run a classroom and talk in front on a crowd everyday. Being an art educator was a big risk for me at the time because it was very out of my comfort zone. Being a teacher has shaped me into the adult I am today because I have gained so much confidence and a passion that I didn’t know I had.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art is a reflection of my mind. Whether it reflects how I’m feeling now, in the past or something I may feel in the future. My art with always be changing and evolving because as I get older and experience new things, my emotions and feelings will change. I find that expressing my emotions is done best with self portraits. As Frida Kahlo once said, “I paint myself because I am the subject I know best.” I want to make art that is relatable, and I do that by showing raw emotion. In today’s world, everything has a “filter” on it, and I want my art to be “unfiltered”. My goal with my art is to share vulnerability and create emotional connection with my audience. Art has always been my way of getting what I feel in my head onto paper. Being able to see whats in my mind on a canvas has always been a special and sometimes unnerving feeling for me.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Weeklong itinerary:
• Spend each morning at Mach 1 Sports Performance or hiking at North Mountain
• We would get coffee/ breakfast at spots like Provision, Dark Hall, Corner on the Market, Luci’s, Elly’s and Vovomeena
• Next we would spend some time outside at places like Margaret T. Hance Park, walking around Rosevelt Row, or Papago Park
• Then we would get lunch at places like AZ Wilderness, Federal Pizza, Los Taquitos and Flower Child
• Next, we would spend time shopping around at Buffalo Exchange, Phoenix General and Manor
• Dinner would be at Sushi Vibe, Joy Ride, The arrogant Butcher, Fate Brewing, Spinato’s Pizzeria and Huarachis
• We would at the night at The Churchill, Valley Bar, Trophy Room, Bitter and Twisted and Ghost Donkey

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
So many people have been there with my on my journey and continue to show their support. There are four people that stick out the most to me and have guided me and have helped me get to where I am today. Without my parents, I would not be where I am today. I am very grateful that my parents have always supported my art. Art has always been my passion and my parents have always supported my passions. Not only did they support me, but they pushed me and helped me pursue my art. Being in artist is not the easiest path to take and having a family that supports and pushes you to be the best at whatever it is that you want to be, is very special. Secondly, my mentor throughout this journey has been my high school art teacher. She created a space at school that I felt like I could be my self and do what I love. I was in the art room in high school as much as I could be. My art teacher created a calm and creative space that I loved and truly, helped me start to shape my art. Not only was she my art teacher, but I did my student teaching with her. She taught me how to be an artist first and then an art teacher second. Lastly, my therapist has be there with me since I was 15 which is almost half my life. Not only was she there to support me mentally, but she encouraged me and always believed in me. If I was lacking confidence in my life, she was there to reassure me that I could do it. She gave me the tools I needed to get through my day to day which helped me be able to do the things I needed to do to get to where i am today.

Website: https://Ileynaluart.com

Instagram: ileynalu_art

Facebook: Art by ileyna Witenstein

Image Credits
Cory Otterstrom