Hola! I’m Angie Quintanilla (keen-tah-knee-yah) Coates, a self-taught visual artist originally from Mexico based in Port Moody, now officially part of the MakerLabs Tools for Change January 2024 cohort! I’ve never been more excited to level up my art practice with the skills I’ll learn during my residency.
I’ve been a full-time digital and commercial artist for the last seven years, and two years ago, I began -and quickly fell in love with- painting with acrylics and collage. My new painting practice also sparked a mission to reclaim plastic, and it wasn’t long before I began painting containers that would otherwise end up in a landfill, transforming them into functional objects.
Since then, my brain has been overflowing with ideas for projects I don’t have all the skills for. This is where the Tools For Change residence will be essential to help me get to the next level.
I have multiple projects in mind, from making functional objects combining reclaimed plastic and wood to creating an art installation/sculpture made of wood and stacked reclaimed plastic.
I also would love to not be constrained in my regular art practice and be able to paint on wood shapes that I can cut myself. I currently use store-bought cradled panels and they are either square, rectangle or rounds. I would love to be able to create my own canvases in whatever shapes I want. Ideally from reclaimed materials too, without being afraid of a jigsaw or/other woodworking tools.
The things I am most excited about learning are the wood lab, laser lab and cnc router lab, all which will help deepen and set me up for the next phase of my art practice, which is currently limited in what I can do without knowledge of these tools.
As a self-taught artist, I never take for granted the privilege to pursue my art practice. In lieu of an art degree, I’ve acquired skills at my own pace over the years through practice (and a lot of trial en error!) classes and workshops. I so appreciate MakerLabs and the Tools for Change residency for supporting me in my journey to become a more skilled artist.
Last but not least, I’d be remiss not to mention how empowering it has been to be learning from and with women and gender diverse folks. Representation matters, and I’m grateful and proud to be a part of the next generation of women and gender diverse people in trades! It will be an honour to have the opportunity to pass on what I learn to the next cohort. I am just as excited about this as I am to be learning new things myself.
If you want to learn more about me and/or stay updated on all my new woodworking skills, you can find me on Instagram at @thefive15 or angieqcoates.com
The Tools For Change residency focuses on empowering women and non-binary people to use the tools at MakerLabs in a comfortable and supportive environment to make almost anything.
The first month of the residency is dedicated to learning to use the tools available at MakerLabs and start working on personal projects, and the second month residents act as a mentor and continue to work on personal projects.
With thanks to Rust-oleum for their generous support sponsoring this residency.
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