My first art exhibition was at the parents open house in kindergarten. I vividly remember standing with my violet crayon self portraits, inspired by Harold and his purple crayon and feeling as invincible as him in my talent. With a sense of pride and accomplishment I knew I was going to be an artist when I grew up. Since then, I have grown both as a person and as an artist but that passion I felt that day has never waivered. It is my dream to be an artist and I have pursued that my entire life. With an imagination as large as Harolds I too created my own world with my constant companion, the sketchbook. Amongst a family of seven with small means, I found solace in its pages and spent a lot of time creating a world inside of it. Compiled of sketches made by my hand but which spoke from my heart and head. My artistic aspirations and ambitions began then and they continue today. A simple pencil and paper has always given me a voice. A voice in which I speak as an artist. An artist who is capable of creating something from nothing. I graduated from The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the first art school in America, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Majoring in printmaking and a minor in sculpture I extensively studied the figure and anatomy in both humans and animals through four years of drawing, painting and sculpting from life. While attending the academy I was honored with the Toppan Drawing Award, also a recipient, alumni, Mary Cassett. I have also completed an Associate’s Degree in Graphic Design from The Art Institute of Colorado. I was one of four nationally chosen to participate in a yearlong internship at The Franklin Mint. I have worked as a porcelain doll sculptor, assistant art director, art teacher, gallery director and graphic designer through out my career. The proud mother of my two sons, my dream is to have my art seen and shared. I have shown my work in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Georgia, Sante Fe, Denver, Boulder and Tallahassee. I am influenced by a passion to create a lasting impression. Working in series with a variety of mediums and techniques. Mediums of choice are woodcarving and woodcut prints. An ancient art form that was first used to reproduce illustrations for books the woodcut was held as a scared object in many cultures. Often time people used a limited edition print folded in their pocket as a talisman to sacred texts. The subject matter of my art is often focused on the celebration of God/ Goddess in nature and myth and the conservation of wildlife. Another medium I enjoy are oil pastels and am currently focusing on drawing one thing everyday I admire. Art affects me and has since I was a child. I try to produce art everyday. Coming from a large family with small means, art was an accessible outlet. Pencil and paper were simple implements that provided an abundance of joy and provided me with a voice and place in my crowded household. I found all the space I needed in the pages of my sketchbook. I find refuge there still. It was always an enjoyable challenge to fill that empty space with my thoughts, emotions and ideas. Now, as a mother of two boys, I still go to my art. To me it is the eye of the hurricane, a calm place amid my hectic life where I can stop and connect, again, to God and myself. Creating something from nothing brings a feeling of accomplishment that is rooted deeply inside of me. This is the way I feel most comfortable speaking to the world. The result is an authentic sincerity in what I choose to say creatively.
Posted on: Wed, 02 Apr 2014 00:00:37 +0000
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