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“My art is my business, it speaks more to me than to anyone else. Although when it is unleashed for others to partake, who knows what opinion they will come away with; again, I make art for myself and I will not be burdened with the ploy of amusing others. This is how ‘true’ art and expression of self, ‘thrives.’”
A year ago, I would have told you that I was a pastel artist, truth be known I was a naïve artist. In the last four months I have started experimenting with painting, application, different brushes, subject matter, color combinations, etc and now realize that I also love representing my interpretation of the world through the use of a brush.
I feel as though the use of pastel helped me understand layering and use of ‘other’ not natural colors which creates a more interesting composition and that my knowledge of this has started to bloom in my paintings of faces, people, and whatever I decide to depict on canvas.
My mother, who is also an artist, has helped shape my use and appreciation of color and subject matter. I am also influenced by the compositions and experimentation done by artist Brian Hutchinson.
When I start a project I sketch straight onto the canvas, no pre-sketching. I like to use a variety of brushes but find that I am partial to the smaller detail brushes. I really like to get into the subject matter and find the intricate color changes that take the drawing from flat to 3D.
I have been on many cultural trips with my mother to experience ‘different’ art styles: New Orleans, New York City, Santa Fe and Taos, Seattle, Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verde, and many more explorative adventures to see ART.
I am unapologetically stubborn, when I see something in my mind based off of what I have observed in my environment I strive to create it. Eventually, I hope to be influencing and cultivating young minds in the creative process, and to instill that art is not just for artists, but that art is about all of us, expressing our thoughts and reactions to the world around us.
My current painting is about things ‘made in China,’ and how even our American flag on the store shelf, many times, has a ‘made in China’ tag. I have taken the Uncle Sam figure and substituted a man’s face from China. I know that some will call me racist, but that is not the intent at all!! Rather it is to draw attention to the origin of materials bought in the United States; ESPECIALLY our beloved red, white, and blue flag.
Someday, I hope to have my own solo shows, and be part of national art organizations. I really want to be part of a generation of artists that shape a positive outcome for our citizens and county, and generally a growth in our society as a world of people. I plan to continue to grow and change, adapt to new materials and ideas, and be part of the group that is getting the message out there through our visual works of art.