Young artist to watch in 2021
Fina Mooney, Self-Portrait, oil, 12 x 10.
From: Minnesota.
Art Education: The Art Academy of St. Paul in Minnesota since the age of 5. Workshops at Grand Central Atelier in New York, Great Lakes Academy of Fine Art in Minnesota, and Florence Academy of Art in Italy.
Style: Realism.
Creative Spark: Works by grand masters of the past such as Artemisia Gentileschi and John Singer Sargent. I visited the Minneapolis Institute of Art as a child, where I would stare at the paintings in amazement, wanting to be just as amazing someday. I am inspired to use my voice to encourage youth empowerment in the arts.
Second-Choice Career: Art historian or conservationist.
Other Passions: Long-distance running, bees and pollinators, world travel, the environment, and vegetarian food.
One Thing People Don’t Know About You: I started oil painting when I was 9 years old.
Best Advice Received: My great-grandmother told me to always persevere and press on.
Biggest Fear: Being alive for the worst of climate change.
Pet Peeve: Art contests that say you must be 18 years old to enter.
Future Goals: Continue to do bigger and better works and use my training and voice to make an impact on the world. After graduating from high school next year, I plan to explore art history and Italian at the university level.
Price Range: $1,000 to $7,500.
Representation: www.art-fina.com.
This story appeared in the August/September 2021 issue of Southwest Art magazine.