Painting her way back

IT WAS said that not all those who wander are lost, but life has a funny way of being so overwhelming sometimes that there's no shame in admitting you can't find your way around. When Haze Long's father passed away in 2010, not only did she lose her loved one, but her ambition too.
"I was a make-up artist a long time ago before I did web designing, but once my dad passed away I was lost without direction. I didn't know what to do as my ambition was gone.
"My best friend then asked me to do wall painting with her. I was sceptical because I thought that wall painting cannot earn me a living, but since I've got nothing to lose, I gave it a try and surprisingly there's actually a demand for this," reminiscenced the 29-year-old.
Since then, Long has established herself as an artist and now owns a street and interior arts company called Art Misfits. In addition, she is also making a name for herself with her speed painting performances. Speed painting is where an artist performs on stage to produce an artwork in less than five to 15 minutes.
So far, she has speed painted for several companies such as Acuvue, Guinness, Hennessy, LGB Group, Hatten Group and Lancôme.
Long is also planning to have her own solo exhibition soon.

Where do you usually get your inspiration from?
Actually, it is a lot of research, reading up, and checking out websites. Or sometimes we can go to the project venue and realise that "Oh, that can be used for this. And then this one can be merged with that for this". Inspiration doesn't just come in the head, it requires a lot of hard work too.
Is there any difference between drawing on paper and drawing on the wall?
Of course (chuckles). You do not need to move if you're drawing on paper, but drawing on the wall is like a workout plus painting. Besides, you have to climb a ladder, which is dangerous, then you have to carry all the paint up and balance it while you're painting.
Can you briefly describe a wall painting process?
First, we digitally design it on a computer then once the client approves of the idea, we proceed to sketch exactly the same thing on the wall. Then we will do masking to make sure the edges are sealed and all that before we start painting. We will need to paint exactly what was proposed. Usually we have to climb up and down the ladder to finish it, sometimes there will be scaffolding or skylift. Once the whole thing is done, we start taking photos and share them on social media. I have to say that the process varies a little depending on the kind of project. If it is a 3D mural, then it's different altogether.

What is the toughest thing about being an artist in Malaysia?
Clients are not very ready to adopt radical ideas. They're not prepared to invest into it if they cannot see a guaranteed return. The pool of talent is also very limited because most of the youngsters are into digital painting. For Art Misfits, we are doing both traditional and digital so it can be hard to find someone for the traditional part.
If there's one place in the world where you can display your wall art, where would it be?
I want to be a part of Hawaii's annual street art festival, POW! WOW!. It is where all artists create murals and share their art, so it's really cool.