gulfcoast

You might have seen some of Ida’s work at some of our art showcases. More so you probably have seen her work at galleries around Royal St. and Magazine St. in New Orleans. Or you might have noticed her work adorning the walls of exhibitions and studio tours.

Ida specializes in a specific archetypal pattern placement of gemstones, insects, and hand gestures. These oil paintings speak through your mind leaving you inside the world she’s created for you to interpret. Some may use the terms “photo realism” in describing her work.

Ida grew up in Massachusetts while spending time on the weekends in Maine facing rocky beaches and the upper Atlantic Ocean. As a child she was very fond of admiring insects. You know, being the “supposedly odd” little girl playing with bugs and sharing her findings. It’s through these experiences as a child she carried over that appreciation into her work now in adulthood.

Left: Leeaux – Right: Ida Floreak

Alters and Oceans was the presentation of the inner workings of her mind.

We arrived early to ask a series of questions, being huge fans of her work, we had to get the goods before the crowd began rolling in.

Tell us what’s up!

Ida: I grew up in New England, Massachusetts. I lived in Maine for a little while as I was really little. There were rocky beaches and tidal pools.

Are these beetles that you have seen or are they ones you imagine?

A lot of these are found and collected and from volunteering at the insect-terrarium.

How long have you been living in New Orleans?

I’ve been living in New Orleans for a little over seven years and It’s been about two or three years where I decided to begin painting full time.

I worked in the movie industry at first for quite a while. That took up most of my time and soon I looked down one day and realized I haven’t created a painting in like two years! I was miserable!

Do you plan to take art and make a living from this (because we’re sure you can)

Oh yeah yeah! It’s getting there, you know. I’m not rolling in it!

How did you get connected to getting the show?

The Ten Gallery is a collective I’m apart of. I’ve been apart of almost since I moved here. There’s about ten of us. Kind of where the name came from. Sometimes there’s fifteen. Sometimes there’s seven, but we all kind of pay monthly. Through this I am in charge of hanging my work, wine and snacks, you know.

Do you think there are like.. witches that collect your work?

Haahaahahahaha

How long does it usually take to work on a piece?

It depends! Sometimes it’s like a month or two (in reference to larger pieces)

During the day how much time do you dedicate to a piece?

I try to be in the studio from 8am to 5pm at least. I’m not working full-time, but I try to treat it like that. It’s important, it’s so easy to y’know, there’s no boss. You’re your own boss. There’s always something you can be doing. From start to finish. For oil paintings I can finish relatively quickly. I can knock one out in a couple of days. You know when you’re on a roll, you hit  something and just keep going.

We began admiring her work and ended up lost in them. Transmission ended.

Despite the weather, her friends, fans, and new lovers of her work piled in sharing complimentary wine and discussing the immense detail in each piece.

We look forward to sharing more of her work as time goes on. We hope that her career blossoms to where more high end collectors begin understanding the magick that truly exist within these delicate pieces.

For more of Ida’s work here are a few links to connect with her ::

Ida Floreak

www.idafloreak.com

Instagram @idafloreak | ELLO | Facebook |