Jillian Steinhauer interviews painter Regina Bogat on the occasion of the exhibition Regina Bogat: Stars at Art 101, Brooklyn, NY, on view through July 1, 2012.

Of her recent series of Stars works, Bogat remarks, "It originated with octagons, which was an architectural motif I found in a friend's house. It reminded me of Christian fonts – baptismal fonts – and that led to a fascination with shapes that have that kind of significance and deep meaning… What they did was they helped me form a painting surface; they were the forms I based the painting on. I needed that – I needed the structure. I construct the painting, I build it, and the stars help me. And then I found they led to this freedom of expression, which is the way I use paint. Anything that releases that impulse in you is very valuable."