Tag Archives: creativity

Artist Bio, Artists To Know

Ask Me Anything Series : My Artistic Influences

I’m often asked who my biggest influences in the art world are, and who MY favorite artists are as an artist myself. The earliest piece of historical art I remember being drawn to is Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh. A representation of this piece was printed on the windows of my elementary school’s library. I also have a vivid memory of looking at large posters of his work during “Picture Parent” day in 2nd or 3rd grade, where parents of kids in class would volunteer to give a little art history lesson once a month. We talked about his time painting in France, and got to eat Brie cheese because, France. I think the snack helped make it particularly memorable.

As I got older, I became more interested in meticulously detailed, mechanically tight artwork rather than impressionism, but I could still be grabbed by Van Gogh’s unusual use of color and pattern. To this day, I myself tend to use non-typical colors that are a bit off, but in a good way (or so it has been described by others). Many say Van Gogh’s art is only interesting because of his story, and that may be true but I think that’s ok because artists’ stories inevitably end up woven into their art. They cannot be separated. Reading his letters to his brother and his thoughts on faith, art, friendship, and the world surrounding all while struggling with various (back then untreatable) disabilities have certainly added to my appreciation of his art as I’ve grown older. Reportedly, there is a story where Van Gogh was talking to a clergy (He was quite religious and considered going into ministry, but his unpredictable temperament was a barrier.). The clergy asked, “How can you say God gave you the spiritual gift of art, when well … your paintings aren’t very good? Maybe you should try something else.” Van Gogh replied, “Maybe I’m painting for people who aren’t born yet?” Artists follow our path, even when it doesn’t look like it makes sense. As someone who feels a deep sense of purpose in what I do including my teaching, this resonates.

The surreal work of women like Frida Kahlo, Leonora Carrington, and Remedios Varo are more favorites from history. I describe most of the work I do as “surreal portraiture”.

Modern day favorite artists are so many, especially with easy access to images on demand: Sofia Bonati, James Jean, Bao Pham, Wanda Tali to name a few… Art involving people and faces is always what stands out to me first, ever since I discovered Mucha and Erte from looking through art calendars in Barnes and Noble as a teen, my go to hangout spot in a town without much to do back then.

All of these artists’ work makes me feel excited and energized, but I think even more so than other artists are influences, I am influenced by snippets of individual images. I have always had a great memory for imagery, and tend to notice and fixate on interesting shapes, colors, and patterns nestled in my surroundings. I have been ‘screenshotting’ images mentally long before smartphones, and waiting for the perfect moment to retrieve that specific pattern on my mom’s old tin recipe box that she let me play with in my pretend kitchen as a toddler, the warm color scheme of polka dots on my Great Grandpa’s Mid Century Modern juice glasses he’d use to bring us Orange-Pineapple-Banana juice and Donettes when we visited, the crazy wallpaper I once saw at a friend’s house, the interesting tree I passed in someone’s yard while on a walk … All of this ends up in an internal slideshow gallery, a collection of beautiful and interesting things. This appreciation for visuals is partially innate I think, but probably also comes from my parents who in their own way also have an appreciation for beautiful and interesting things. Both love antiques. My dad is a collector, and he would always share interesting rocks, shells, and marbles with me from his treasures growing up. My mom, an avid gardener, would get excited about showing me interesting bugs, and I had all the most premium “insect hotels” to catch and observe them before releasing them back into the wild.

Inspiration comes from everywhere, and sometimes I wonder how a person can be alive and not be constantly inspired.

If you are reading this and have any questions for me as an artist, shoot them my way and I’ll turn your answer into a post, too!

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Techniques and Tutorials

Book Quotes Mixed Media Art

I’m an avid reader, and I used to keep a journal where I’d record favorite quotes from books, sometimes stopping every couple paragraphs to record something! When art journaling became a big new thing almost a decade ago, I started turning some of these quotes into visual journal pages as demonstrations for my art classes. I hadn’t done something like this in a very long time, but while reading ‘Census’ by Jesse Ball earlier this year, there was a phrase that really stood out to me and I decided to turn it into a small piece of art to hang on my bulletin board in my home office. I started with a light pencil sketch, then used watercolor pencils. Once that dried, I chose areas to highlight with stenciling and metallic acrylic. Last, I added details and the quote itself with paint markers. Lately I’ve been very into layering patterns into my art with stencils, and love how they can take a sketch or watercolor painting that is quite simple and basic up a level and add new dimension and meaning.

I hope you enjoy the demo. In case your auditory processing is iffy as mine can sometimes be and you prefer to read, here is the transcript for my description of why this quote stood out to me as much as it did. (One of these days I’m going to have to figure out adding captions on youtube! Definite 2026 goal!)

‘The Census by Jesse Ball is a surreal take on a wacky census taking journey in an alternate version of the US, where a dad travels on said journey with his adult son with down syndrome. This choice was made in honor of the author’s brother with down syndrome who unfortunately passed young. It’s a great book anyway, but this thought the main character has while meeting someone wearing a bunch of rings and pins of the different groups they belong to stopped me in my tracks. 

“I have always despised people who join societies. In general, I feel that groups of any kind are for the weak. The need for consensus is the most disgusting and pathetic aspect of our human world. Is there none who can simply wander alone beneath a sort of cloth tent painted with dreams?”

Yes, it’s harsh, but I don’t think this paragraph is saying community in general is bad. As one who has never been a joiner and experienced some angst over that fact, that last line awakened a sort of bubbling-over joy in my spirit. I was never part of one core friend group, rather on the periphery of several groups growing up. I had many intense interests, but never wanted to join any clubs. Even as an adult, I have been part of a few art groups but at times get easily frustrated with the politics and drama and end up quitting (all the ones I’m thinking of have already disbanded, so none currently in action haha!). I thought about joining a local hiking group, but then realized what I love about hiking is being alone and quiet in nature. I attend church but have never become a member, and though I definitely lean a certain way and am known as being quite opinionated, I will never affiliate myself with a specific political party. I like a person or group or entity until they do something I don’t agree with, and then I don’t like them anymore – simple as that (though this doesn’t seem to be very simple for many others!) I have several fantasy authors whose books I’ve tossed in the garbage even though I still like the stories because of their repugnant behavior as human beings. I don’t separate the art from the artist. People tend to seek belonging in ways that I just don’t relate to. Our society tells us to band together in pride about all sorts of ridiculous things … Pride in the location where the great cosmic lottery dropped you at the time of your birth, pride in what high school you went to which again is just the random luck of your location, pride that we have x amount of money or status without acknowledging any starting advantages that got us there or acknowledging how quickly our situation could change, pride that x # of people agree with us whether what we said was accurate or not … People offer blind loyalty and abandon their principles to fit where they think they should be. They refuse to change their mind no matter how far off the rails something goes, not wanting to grow and change lest they lose their “group”. I think I’ll stay under my tent of dreams, and remember to be content with that place. I’ll try also to always remember to leave it wide open for other tired journeyers to join me, not because we are the same but  because I choose to love them for exactly who they are right now. It’s not an easy choice and I’m not always good at it, but I think it’s the best one.

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Art Discussion

The ABCs of Creation – H Is For Heart

An artist friend recently shared with me an article they wrote titled “The ABCs of Underground Art”. I really enjoyed it, and they encouraged me to write my own ABC’s of the type of art that I do as a fun journaling prompt to use to unwind and organize your thoughts. Those that have followed me for awhile know that I don’t typically stick to just one type of art, so to open up the limits I decided to make my “alphabet” the ABC’s of Creation. I have assigned a word to each letter, along with a video of my illustrating a cool little ACEO sized letter inspired visual to go with each word. Read, listen, or both – whatever works! 

H is for Heart. Creating takes heart. It’s something you can’t quite put into words, but it’s usually obvious when a creator’s heart isn’t in something they’ve made and they are just going through the motions. That is one of the reasons I can’t get behind AI art. It isn’t measurable, but even not accounting for the goofy mistakes, something always seems like it’s missing. This is true to my eye whether it’s AI digital art, ‘photography’ or rather what is made to look like photography, or a logo design. I myself am not a fan of pure copying from a photo without making any creative changes, but even in art where the goal is to simply replicate a scene in the artist’s chosen medium, if the artist is excited about what they are observing and the process of recreation it definitely shows through.

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Art Discussion, Artists To Know

Art & Outrage – What’s Up With These Thomas Price Sculptures?

A departure from my usual posting, but some recent complaints about art opened up the opportunity to open up a discussion about the purpose of public art, how we react and interact with it, how culture views who and what “deserves” to be immortalized, and what makes public art successful. This is especially interesting to me as I have been participating more and more in public arts myself.

Thomas Price is a British sculptor who installs over-scaled sculptures of everyday figures in public spaces, centering on black women. His intent has been quoted as “I want my sculpture to be an opportunity for people to connect emotionally with an image of someone they might not have noticed before” (emphasis added by me). This is exactly the message I got out of it when I looked at it before even reading this statement. Unfortunately, not everyone is seeing or understanding the same intent, and many are flat out losing their minds over his installations.

The blurb that encapsulates the myriad of complaints best is screenshotted below:

Keep in mind, this post is intended to provoke thought and discussion. In no way am I telling you that you have to like these sculptures. We all are drawn to different things, and that is perfectly fine. However, “I don’t like new things, grumble grumble, or phones, grumble grumble, or looking at art, and for God’s sake will someone tell that woman to smile!” is not a nuanced or valid critique. There’s a lot here – let’s start at the top, shall we?

One of the reasons more communities are embracing public art is precisely because it makes art accessible. It integrates art into our everyday life so that we don’t have to set aside time (and often money) to travel to a museum to experience visual arts and culture. This could become especially important as funding to museums in the US becomes uncertain. Public art promotes tourism, boosts the local economy, and fosters cooperation and communication between people of all different backgrounds, ages, and abilities. Additionally, public art specifically designed to communicate about marginalized groups, and social and community issues has been proven to boost empathy, decrease stigma towards marginalized individuals, encourage philanthropy, and also build social trust and improved residents’ perceptions of their community. I have to see plenty of things in a day about topics I’m completely uninterested in, as do we all – Advertisements, anyone? I’m not sure why this is a huge problem.

Ah, and now we get to the classic “All art made after the 1800s is bad” argument, which I’ve never quite understood. There are many paintings featured in “classical” sections of museums that are just plain poorly painted. And yes, there is also modern art that I don’t understand and that doesn’t seem skillfully done to me personally. Again, we are all drawn to different things and typically time period has nothing to do with it. Whether you like them or not, there is no question that Price’s sculptures are skillfully created. They are incredibly realistic with every hair given texture, every wrinkle in the clothing perfectly captured, accessories and objects accompanying the figure created in identical detail to life. The only difference is that classical sculpture has been around longer. Do you know why in those old Greek statues the figures are wearing robes instead of jeans? Not because it looks more “fancy”, but because that’s what they wore when those sculptures were created! Remember, there was a time when every piece of classic art was considered “modern” as well. I remember my middle school art instructor explaining that the reason so many artists draw or sculpt nudes is because it makes them timeless. Any clothing, no matter how understated, is going to eventually look awkward and date a work of art. Something tells me the people that didn’t like these golden ladies would have been even less pleased had they been unclothed, however.

Look at this Rodin piece, art from the period when artists actually knew what they were doing! Oh wait … he looks a little, dare I say ‘gloomy’, and check out that shlumpy posture! Hm … maybe what people are telling us is the problem with these works isn’t actually the real problem.

Creating sculptures representing typical, everyday neighborhood folks and placing them throughout public spaces is not new. Even in the small communities I’ve lived in, there have been similar installations in both Midland, MI and Saginaw where I now dwell. What’s new is the accompanied outrage.

I read a study, referenced earlier, about how art that communicates about marginalized groups (or depicts figures not often seen in fine art) can inspired empathy and stronger community, but it isn’t a magic aura that is going to just radiate off of a sculpture or mural and instantly transform every single person’s heart that walks past it. It takes time, and it’s messy. One of my favorite pieces I’ve created of a young woman with down syndrome was printed on a metal sign along with many other works along a walking path in a nearby community. A Neo-Nazi group slapped a number of their promotional stickers over it – thank goodness for goo-gone. It won Best Of Show at 2 different events, and not everyone was happy about it or understood the point. Many others celebrated – You will not please everyone no matter what your field.

That being said, if a public art series is almost universally disliked by the public, then can we say it’s successful, that it is achieving it’s intended goal?

If as an artist, you are trying to reach the wider community but they don’t seem to be understanding your message then yes, sometimes it is time to go back to the drawing board and make some adjustments or try something different next time. However, if you are observing that it seems the public is determined to get your message wrong no matter what you create, it may be time to be true to yourself and persist. It’s hard, and there isn’t always a clear answer. That choice is ultimately up to the artist. We don’t have to like every piece of art we see, but remember that artists are actually human beings, and if you think you have a better idea then go pitch it! Most calls for public art in all communities are looking for ideas from everyone, whether you are an “official” exhibiting artist or not. Collaboration and communication accomplish more than complaining. I’m not saying it’s easy, but it’ll certainly leave us all a heck of a lot happier and more fulfilled.

Artists and non-artists alike, what are your thoughts on these pieces, on public art in general? Inquiring minds want to know!

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Art Discussion

The ABCs of Creation – G Is For Gesture

An artist friend recently shared with me an article they wrote titled “The ABCs of Underground Art”. I really enjoyed it, and they encouraged me to write my own ABC’s of the type of art that I do as a fun journaling prompt to use to unwind and organize your thoughts. Those that have followed me for awhile know that I don’t typically stick to just one type of art, so to open up the limits I decided to make my “alphabet” the ABC’s of Creation. I have assigned a word to each letter, along with a video of my illustrating a cool little ACEO sized letter inspired visual to go with each word. Read, listen, or both – whatever works! 

G is for Gesture. I mentioned in letter E about how some of my art students with disabilities struggle with grip or coordination and how that changes their creating. Limitations can change an artist’s signature style and actually make it more recognizable. A prime example of this is a piece I own by a local artist with Parkinson’s, Patrick Humphreys. Another great example of this is renowned artist Henri Mattisse’s move from painting to collage after his dexterity was effected by illness. This new style ended up earning him a stained glass commission for the famous Rosary Chapel in France. The way we move our arms, the way we hold our tools, all of these things craft our creative voice. Our “gest” is distinctive to us as individuals, similar to how our auditory voices have different tones, speeds, and ruthyms. I was told recently that I even hold my pencil like an artist. This made me chuckle a bit as all through elementary school, I was told I hold my pencil “wrong”. The “right” way felt harder for me to control and hurt my fingers for whatever reason, so I did what came naturally to me. Imagine thinking there is only one way to hold something, or move through space, or add color to a piece of paper and that the same thing will work for everybody. The first thing I tell my students of all abilities when they say, “My art doesn’t look like yours” is GOOD! It’s not supposed to! Art can be skillfully done without looking exactly like the work of your instructor or favorite artist. 

Patrick Humphreys, Artshop Students Sarah G., Christina G., and Colleen D.

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Art Discussion

The ABCs of Creation – F Is For Folk

An artist friend recently shared with me an article they wrote titled “The ABCs of Underground Art”. I really enjoyed it, and they encouraged me to write my own ABC’s of the type of art that I do as a fun journaling prompt to use to unwind and organize your thoughts. Those that have followed me for awhile know that I don’t typically stick to just one type of art, so to open up the limits I decided to make my “alphabet” the ABC’s of Creation. I have assigned a word to each letter, along with a video of my illustrating a cool little ACEO sized letter inspired visual to go with each word. Read, listen, or both – whatever works! 

F is for Folk. According to Merriam Webster, folk art is an expression of community life distinguished as different from self-conscious or academic expression. It is a communal language. Communal and public art is an important step in the creator’s journey. Having just closed one of the largest public arts projects of my career, the eb and flow of both learning and imparting simultaneously is magical. Thinking in terms of expressing your own unique concept while making sure it is executed in a familiar enough language that others will be able to understand and even take part in the process is another push and pull that is such a catalyst for growth. Creativity will bring people together – it must.

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Artist Bio

The ABCs of Creation – E Is For Equalize

An artist friend recently shared with me an article they wrote titled “The ABCs of Underground Art”. I really enjoyed it, and they encouraged me to write my own ABC’s of the type of art that I do as a fun journaling prompt to use to unwind and organize your thoughts. Those that have followed me for awhile know that I don’t typically stick to just one type of art, so to open up the limits I decided to make my “alphabet” the ABC’s of Creation. I have assigned a word to each letter, along with a video of my illustrating a cool little ACEO sized letter inspired visual to go with each word. Read, listen, or both – whatever works! 

E is for Equalize. Creating is a great equalizer in my opinion, because there are so many different ways to go at it even with certain limitations. I work with students with disabilities, some of whom have a lot of trouble with fine motor skills or dexterity. Large, overarching strokes, wobbly lines, lopsided sculpting … Some people try to achieve these peculiarities on purpose!  There is a way to make qualities you may view as imperfections part of your signature look. How cool is it that when creating, we can take something that is typically viewed as a difficulty and transform it into something that enhances our end result.

Above are just a snapshot of the beautiful works of art my students have created over the years. I strongly believe that beginning my career as an instructor with the Express Yourself Artshop inclusive program in my hometown (as someone who wasn’t even planning to become an art instructor at that point!) made me a better teacher.

(Psst! We do have a Redbubble Shop as well, if you want to show some love.)

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Artist Bio

The ABCs of Creation – D Is For Dreams

An artist friend recently shared with me an article they wrote titled “The ABCs of Underground Art”. I really enjoyed it, and they encouraged me to write my own ABC’s of the type of art that I do as a fun journaling prompt to use to unwind and organize your thoughts. Those that have followed me for awhile know that I don’t typically stick to just one type of art, so to open up the limits I decided to make my “alphabet” the ABC’s of Creation. I have assigned a word to each letter, along with a video of my illustrating a cool little ACEO sized letter inspired visual to go with each word. Read, listen, or both – whatever works! 

D is for Dream. Creating allows us to show others things they could never see in real life. It transports us. The art I appreciate the most takes ideas from reality but uses innovation to present it in a new way. This is the kind of art that makes creation valuable; we can’t just look out the window and see what it is showing us. Not to say realistic things like landscapes can’t show us a new reality, Look at Van Gogh! Creating invites us into the mind of someone else, a place we can’t usually go.

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Art Discussion

The ABCs of Creation – C Is For Craft

An artist friend recently shared with me an article they wrote titled “The ABCs of Underground Art”. I really enjoyed it, and they encouraged me to write my own ABC’s of the type of art that I do as a fun journaling prompt to use to unwind and organize your thoughts. Those that have followed me for awhile know that I don’t typically stick to just one type of art, so to open up the limits I decided to make my “alphabet” the ABC’s of Creation. I have assigned a word to each letter, along with a video of my illustrating a cool little ACEO sized letter inspired visual to go with each word. Read, listen, or both – whatever works! 

C is for craft. Another word for creating something is to craft this or that object. This may be an unpopular opinion in the art world, but I get frustrated when I am pulled into conversations about “art vs. craft”, what pursuits are fine art and what is “just” crafting. I sure can’t make a quilt. Why should that be considered a lesser skill, especially with the amount of math and attention to detail that is involved? I love when gallery artists give the middle finger to what is supposed to be sophisticated materials, and add glitter, beads, paper ephemera, buttons, and other craft supplies into their work. Without craft, we are excluding an entire discipline that could teach us new ways to approach our art.

Above is a closeup from one of the piece’s in an inspiring Mark Messersmith exhibit I was lucky enough to catch last Fall while visiting family in Ohio – I’m detecting some GLITTER!

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Art Discussion

The ABCs of Creation – B Is For Beauty

An artist friend recently shared with me an article they wrote titled “The ABCs of Underground Art”. I really enjoyed it, and they encouraged me to write my own ABC’s of the type of art that I do as a fun journaling prompt to use to unwind and organize your thoughts. Those that have followed me for awhile know that I don’t typically stick to just one type of art, so to open up the limits I decided to make my “alphabet” the ABC’s of Creation. I have assigned a word to each letter, along with a video of my illustrating a cool little ACEO sized letter inspired visual to go with each word. Read, listen, or both – whatever works! 

B is for Beauty. Of course, when we create something we hope others will want to look at it (or listen, or watch, or read …) Beauty means different things to everyone. The great thing about that is, there is a pretty good chance that someone out there will find your creation beautiful, even if it doesn’t fit the norm of how beauty is typically defined. 7 years ago now, I created one of my favorite pieces of a young woman with down syndrome looking joyful, confident, and gorgeous. When it was shown for the first time at an exhibit and awarded, some viewers were confused, did not approve, or were even angry. (How did I know this? I have very acute hearing and was even playfully called “elephant ears” by my parents as a kid because I heard EVERYTHING.) Though the lack of openness towards diversity in portraiture or a disdain towards people with disabilities is definitely not ok, it is ok for us to not all agree on one definition of beauty. Many more people have adored this same mixed media drawing. We each get to define what beauty is for ourselves.

If you want to see the other letters all the way to Z, be sure to subscribe!

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