Artistic Approach
One of my favorite quotes comes from the Gospel of Thomas. It says "if you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you." I paint because I must. This is not meant to be some melodramatic statement about how I would just die if I couldn't paint, but i would be far more worse for wear were i to give it up. By nature I have an entrepreneurial spirit. I knew at 16 while working in a Dairy Queen that one day I would be my own boss. That is not to say that my artistic motivations are based in monetary gain, although making money is a nice side effect. My intention is to do what I love with so much passion and drive and excellence that people cannot help but be inspired by what I create. I also believe that fine art should be accessible to everyone, not just those with deep pockets. It's really a win win situation, I love being creative and I love people. The more people I can inspire with my art, the more financially stable my business becomes, the more I can continue to create and inspire, and on and on and on. But regardless of how "successful" I am as an entrepreneur, I will continue to paint. I must. Being successful to me means that every day that I am blessed with will in some way be spent being creative. If I am not putting brush to canvas I am out taking interesting photographs or clipping magazine articles or listening to new music, all in search of inspiration. My inspiration comes from a variety of places. Growing up in rural Ohio, USA, I consider myself to be an outdoorsy girl. Nature is without a doubt a source of inspiration, but it can also come to me from far less profound places. I once painted an entire series based on a pair of stinking awesome stilettos I saw in a magazine. I met a woman at a craft fair who made stunning vintage inspired jewelry, and I painted several works based on her earring collection. I unknowingly spilled sealer in my studio once, and as I was peeling it off the floor the next day it pulled up layers and layers of old paint splatters. The painting inspired by that turned out pretty damn cool I must say. Not everything inspires me, but I can find inspiration in almost anything. As creative people I believe we are inherently more in tune with our emotions. The biggest and most apparent source of my inspiration comes from how deeply and fully I seem to feel everything. I most definitely use painting as a means of therapeutic expression when I have had a particularly atrocious day. The paintings I have submitted are all from a collection I fondly refer to as my "shrink" collection. They seem to turn out the best, and I always feel more alive during their creation process. I think for me art is a way to work toward a better version of myself. That is worth more than any gallery showing or competition win or art sale.
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