MY ART IN 3 WORDS:

Hmmm, 3 words. That is a tough one. But I guess, if we're referencing my typical selections in matters of subject, styling, and concepts, I'd have to go with...

1. Energizing, 2. Whimsical, & 3. Multifarious 

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MYSELF IN 1 WORD:

I don't guess Empath-ic is a real word, lol. So, in that case - next best option would be Empathetic - having or tending to have empathy—the ability or practice of imagining or trying to deeply understand what someone else is feeling or what it’s like to be in their situation. Empathy is often described as the ability to feel what others are feeling as if you are feeling it yourself.

 

I feel everything...my energy, your energy, the energy of animals, the energy in nature...the energy of everything that surrounds me. It can be somewhat of an exhaustive / draining attribute. That said though, I don't think I'd ever choose to be any other way - because beyond the emotional weight of it all - there is love. But not just any kind of love. There is a deep, genuinely authentic, all encompassing kind of love that has the ability to bridge souls together - regardless of age, experience, gender, nationality, location, even pronouns - capable of withstanding the test of time.   

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​WHY I CREATE? 

"Art is not always about what's pretty...or even socially acceptable. Art is about who we are, where we have been, the experiences we have been through, and how our lives have forever been affected and changed because of it. It is for these reasons, I believe art should always be an out of body experience. We must allow access to the deepest parts of ourselves - minds, bodies, hearts and souls - for it is here...the true intent of creativity is found. It is a release, an expression of stifled emotion; it is an acknowledgement of who we really are - outside of what we allow the world to see."

 

MY CREATIVE PROCESS: 

​MY MENTAL CREATIVE PROCESS:

I don't really have any set process or practices that I routinely incorporate into my technique(s). I don't ever have any real direction or plan for the piece(s) I am creating. But instead, each is developed purely in that moment, based off of where I am and how I am feeling at that specific point in time - mentally, emotionally & spiritually.  My art is something I use to express things I would otherwise suppress - aiding in my ability to process and release things beyond my control - helping to create a sense of peace and balance in my life. Because of this - even I don't ever know what my next creation(s) will be.

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I can tell you, the intent of my creations is to hopefully radiate the emotions, thought processes, passions, hopes and dreams that ultimately I want to resonate into the world and into the lives of those around me that I am fortunate enough to connect with. Like what...? Like Strength, Beauty, Empowerment, Authenticity, Inner Peace, Personal Growth & Acceptance, Redemption, Understanding and Forgiveness, Kindness and a gentle Love for all things. The world can be a dark and frightening place at times. I want the footprints I leave behind to evoke feelings of hope and joy...and promise.  

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I am all about feeling things out as I go...Colors, Shapes, Materials, Patterns, Movement, Placement, Subject Matter...It is a deeply personal process often very difficult to deduce in words in a way that genuinely and wholly communicates who I am to the world around me.   

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MY PHYSICAL CREATIVE PROCESS:

I have been crafting an d creating  as far back as I can remember. Most likely, there's not a single type of medium that, at one point or another, I haven't experimented with. I say that...

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These days though, (most likely influenced by more recent events from all around the world, ie: the Covid pandemic and lockdown, inflation, and global economics) my approach has taken a somewhat significant turn. In a time when materials and supplies became difficult to come by, for more reasons than one, I was forced to find new ways of practice that would allow me to continue my creative journey. For me, that meant moving away from the more traditional and tangible art mediums ...and instead, transitioning to a more digital-like platform.      ​

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Learning new methods to 'create' is, honestly, just another part of the process in being a creative. But I wanted to ensure my works did not become flat &/or two-dimensional. I'm not a two-dimensional person - personally or professionally. In fact, the last 20+ years of my professional life, working as a designer, merchandiser, faux/decorative painter, furniture refinisher, even an auction clerk and antique dealer, my world revolved around all the things I love: texture, depth, beauty, imperfections, character, getting messy - but ultimately producing a polished finished piece/project in the end. Leaving these qualities out of my newer creations, digital or what not, wasn't an option. I was going to have to get creative in my efforts to discover techniques/methods  that would allow me to digitally communicate that same visual sense of dimension, depth, movement and texture to the world around me. And so I did & still continue doing daily.      

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If I had to somehow verbalize my process of creating expressive my digital art pieces, I'd have to go with- '"A collaborative meshing of both mixed media and digital techniques I like to call 'digital collaging,' all blended and layered together in a manner to ultimately create  my original abstract works/prints."  What does this mean, you ask? (lol)  It simply means that using scanned copies of my art, art journaling's, studies, completed three-dimensional works, new & old, as well as scanned copies of older pieces, I like to call 'failed works' (or my scraps)...I randomly layer a variety of these elements onto my digital canvas and in combination with other items like random photographs of all sorts of different and sometimes 'unexpected' subject matter (like visual texture &/or movement, for example: scenic elements [many from my past travels, animals, florals and foliage, even random everyday items like a contact lens, a glass bottle, writing utensils, and so on) - I manipulate them all together with digital methods and techniques that ultimately result in the creation of my art pieces, I like to call "abstract collages."

So basically my digital art is a marrying of both mixed media and digital techniques - ultimately resulting in a digital print as the completed work. I have 'abstract collages' shown in italics above because, when all is said and done, the finished pieces are not melded together in a manner to create what we all envision from our childhood school days, to be a 'collage' in the traditional sense of the word . But instead, the combination of these manipulated layers, elements and techniques ultimately creates one, single, cohesive piece of stand alone art.  

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