Tag Archives: women artists

Art Discussion, New Work

New Art – Diverse Creation

It’s been a tough year in the United States for the word “diversity”, with a mass confusion of what DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) is versus what affirmative action is resulting in unfortunate fallout, particularly for individuals with disabilities (See video below … who says autistic folks can’t be sarcastic/humorous when the need arises? You know what Oscar Wilde said, ‘If you want to tell the truth, make them laugh otherwise they’ll kill you.). Michigan Arts Access, a program I have worked with as a resident artist that provides arts education in special education classrooms, lost major funding sources for next year because their work falls under the “DEI” umbrella by including students with disabilities in elective opportunities that many other traditional students automatically receive. Unfortunately, this means their services probably won’t happen next year in less wealthy communities like mine. There was a general souring in public opinion towards the word DEI despite most people actually agreeing with the principles and practices of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion when asked without using the acronym itself, according to research. If anything, this reveals how muddled understanding has gotten as we have access to more information than we’ve ever been expected to handle all at once, but that’s a conversation for another day. 

The thing is, while equity and inclusion are sadly optional, in America we’re stuck with diversity whether we like it or not. This may seem too obvious to need reminding, but America is unique because everyone who lives here at one point came from somewhere else, and who has been here longer may at times be surprising (i.e. my Mexican partner’s family settled in Texas long before my ancestors came here from Italy, England, Hungary.).

Diversity is built into all of creation. The differences in plants, animals, and insects both visually and in how they function serve a purpose. Similarly, our different backgrounds, cultures, genders, and brains all bring something distinct to the table, and our society runs better when all are included and their gifts nurtured. Imagine what would happen if you had a vegetable garden, but decided tomatoes were your favorite so you’re only going to water those and just let the rain take care of the rest. Rain helps, but it’s not enough, and eventually the other plants would die, and you’d get pretty tired of only eating tomatoes every day. (Apparently I’m really into garden metaphors when it comes to people – see last year’s mural.) 

We can’t marvel at the vast variety in a field of flowers or all the different patterns on the wings of butterflies, and at the same time be angry about differences in the people around us. We can’t become excited about the literal tour around the world we can take in almost any given city when picking a restaurant, but be upset that we have neighbors who came from the culture where those recipes originated. 

It may feel like diversity is ‘canceled’, but the very notion is ridiculous. I am in no way trying to downplay the significance of words and policies that communicate that certain people don’t deserve basic needs, education opportunities, or respect. However, individuals, and I daresay especially creatives, still have a choice. This new piece was recently created for an upcoming Fall show with the theme “Diversity Is Beauty And Strength”. I’ve also been working on a series of fantasy themed family portraits from a client who reached out to me from my ebay shop. She noted that she saw my series of cute angels/fairies and mermaids and noticed that I offered a bunch of different skin tone choices. She shared that her family is mixed race, and it’s difficult to find fantasy art that looks like them. Thus, one of the most fun commissions I’ve ever done was born. I enjoyed getting to know my subjects from afar through an exchange of personal stories, and channeling their joys, struggles, and dreams into these keepsakes. More still to come!

This year has been hitting creators hard, but art is communication and we creative people are in a unique position to pivot the cultural conversation. How do you think diversity enhances the way you experience your daily life and community?

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New Work

‘Generosity’ : Mixed Media Surrealism

In between 3 murals this summer, I recently completed my 5th part of my current Fruits Of The Spirit series, Generosity/Goodness. This is the only larger start to finish piece I’ve completed this year, so that was certainly a triumph! Along with working on my own concept based fine art, I’ve been enjoying creating art people can take home with them: comics, clothing and accessories, mini paintings, and more.

I’ve mentioned in the past that it is important to me that my art connects with people of varying backgrounds. Though my art often deals with themes that have emotional depth, I haven’t made, well, ANY spiritual or faith based art before for that reason. The Fruits Of The Spirit come from the Christian tradition, but are principles that we can all relate to.

Generosity, perhaps recently more than ever, is so countercultural to the way we function (I’m in the US right now, so I can’t speak to anywhere else.). At times there is even open scorn for generosity, as we make assumptions about why certain people may have ended up in a situation where they need help, and why they don’t deserve it. I was recently notified that Michigan Arts Access, a program I work with that provides opportunities in arts, theatre, and music education to students in special education (like the arts branch of Special Olympics), will likely not be able to continue its work next year due to funds to support inclusion opportunities for individuals with disabilities being diverted via a federal mandate to an “American Heroes Sculpture Garden” that will cost up to 40 million dollars. We are seeing in real time that a lack of generosity has nothing to do with a lack of funds. In an era where we hear and read daily phrases like “protect your peace”, and see the usually beneficial and healthy practice of boundary setting being weaponized as an excuse to be a self centered and unsupportive friend, generosity with our time and emotions is also at an all time low.

Inspired by art history and ancient pottery, I decided to convey generosity in the form of the figure’s hands being like spouts on a vessel, bountiful water pouring forth from inside. The reason I chose to depict the figure surrounded by more water, lush plants growing all around, has to do with the idea that there is enough. Our own resources may be finite, which is why we can’t do everything alone. However, when we come together as a community it is possible for everyone to get what they need without harming anyone else. Below I filmed some closeups of the finished piece, and talk a bit more about the project.

When I see struggle happening everywhere and want to do more to help but am not sure how, or feel depleted myself, I draw from my faith, my close friends and family, and the network I’ve built as a working artist that has provided me with so many opportunities to use my gifts for good. What are the sources of your renewal?

Later this Fall, I have the opportunity to volunteer in leading some mindfulness art activities to guests at a mental health festival in a nearby city. Be sure to check back as I update everyone on how it went!

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Art Discussion, New Work

Seeing Red – Finishing Abandoned Art (Or Why I Don’t Throw Anything Away)

Long ago, I’m talking nearly 10 years ago, I had an idea to explore color theory and color psychology through 5 color-themed pieces centered around the 3 primaries, and black and white. I completed the piece representing “White” first to get the most difficult one over with as exemplifying the absence of color in a piece of art is not always so easy, and white in general has to be my least favorite color – probably why I never succeeded in my original field of interior design as that seems to be all people want nowadays. But I digress …

I immediately after finishing White/’The End Is Also The Beginning’, started a piece for “Red”, much more a color to my liking. But then, the great covid catastrophe happened, life was weird, I got going on other projects, I had no clue how to finish the background, I got tired of coloring the pattern on the dress (Why oh why didn’t I just use fabric again like the first piece!), and there it sat abandoned inside an XL drawing pad for 6 years. I thought about just throwing it away as I wasn’t sure I was ever going to finish this series anyway. I know you have to be careful with this, but I am a huge advocate of not throwing old or unfinished art away because with a new perspective years later, you can make magic out of it. Behold, Red, or ‘Attachment’.

Red is without a doubt the strongest color emotionally, and the color that commands the greatest response both positive and negative. It’s no accident that stoplights and stop signs are red. Although, I remember reading the sort of bio in the front of an art book by one of my favorite artists, Ray Caesar. He mused on how he had always struggled with driving because to him red was an action color that meant “GO” rather than stop. That pretty much sums up the nature of red, commanding but conflicting.

It creates a response, but what kind of response widely varies by person and situation. Advertising uses red to create a sense of urgency, draw attention to a product or special sale, and make viewers think they HAVE to do something. Red is super stimulating especially when a bright primary but even when it’s a darker version as well, and can be overwhelming or off-putting to some. It symbolizes passion and romance, the color of the heart and of our blood. Fire is associated with red and red can also symbolize anger or rage (hence the saying “seeing red”), aggression and dominance. Red means luxury – think of the old Hollywood glamour classic red dress, red carpets, red lipstick, and the Christian Louboutin red soles.

Asian cultures have a particular relationship with red. In India, red is their traditional wedding dress color rather than white. In Japan, red is associated with cultural values of strength and sacrifice, but also expressions of joy, signified by a prominent red circle sun graphic on their flag. In China, red is an important symbolic color for good luck and prosperity. Across the continent, red is seen again as a warning color but this time to stave off ‘evil spirits’ or unpleasant circumstances.

Red tells stories of both joy and fortune, and tragedy and violence. It creates strong reactions and emotions, but which ones may come forward can be confusing and conflicting. Red, of all the colors, seems to be the color of our living story and our relationship to others.

Who knows, maybe I will revisit this series and keep going with it when I have the time. After all, I still have my concept sketches for blue, yellow, and black – As I mentioned, when it comes to drawings I don’t throw anything away! 😉

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Books, Music and Film

Happy Black History Month, & My Favorite American Girl Doll

In the 90s, everyone knew about the American Girl Dolls and accompanying book series. The catalogs came to every home that had a little girl, and I would spend hours pouring over the pages, taking in every detail. I had 2 favorite American Girls: Molly and Addy. I loved Molly because we were identical as you can see, and Addy specifically because we were so different. Even as a child I was fascinated by the subtle differences in eye and nose shape, hair texture, and skin tone from person to person – It’s no surprise that my favorite subject to draw or paint is still people, and when looking at other artists’ work I am heavily drawn to creations centered around figures and portraits. I never wanted any of my Barbies or other dolls to all look like me, or all look the same as each other. I was definitely NOT the girl who had a case of 5 classic blonde barbies! What was different about American girl for that time was the fact that their face sculpts and hair textures actually varied by ethnicity (first with Addy, and then later with Josefina and Kaya), whereas with Barbies and other dolls there would always be a white option or a black option, but the black doll was just the white one painted brown!

I saved up the 80 bucks for my Addy doll myself, dollars (and sometimes quarters!) at a time, doing extra chores and kid friendly odd jobs. I kept track of my progress with a special American Girl sticker chart, and when the last spot was filled I knew I’d made it!

The Addy books themselves also stood out from others in the series. The American Girls series chronicled different 10-year-old girls’ daily life as they existed during different pivotal times in American history. While they all involved a degree of challenge and hardship, Addy’s story was about her actually being held captive in slavery in the first book, and escaping with her family through the underground railroad. Though of course things were even more harrowing in real life than we could ever image, the author of Addy’s books did not hide or sugarcoat the tragedy simply because the books were aimed at children. My mom and I read them together, a chapter or two each night, and they talked about Addy being abused for not working fast enough, her older brother being whipped for speaking up for her, having to leave her baby sister behind with elderly relatives who also could not make the journey because she might make noise or cry and give them away as they were escaping. The stories honestly gave a clearer picture of injustice than lessons learned in school at the time.

American Girl still exists, though it is no longer owned by the original company. There is less focus on the history aspect, and for awhile Addy and her accompanying books and accessories were actually not available any longer, though they did bring her back by customer demand.

There is something about seeing the world through the eyes of another kid your age as they grow up in unimaginable circumstances, with problems you will never have to face. Yes, it’s just a doll and some historical fiction books but more than that it teaches empathy which is invaluable. We can hope that kids that learn how to see the world from another’s perspective will grow up to be adults with empathy as well, that aim to understand and support others through challenges that they themselves may never face, just because we are all human.

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Art Discussion, New Work

Exhibiting My First Sculpture: God As The Artist

My spirituality and faith resonate with me the most when I think of God as an artist. I don’t feel closest to God in the practices of church, though I do pop in occasionally for the community aspect. I’ve never been much of one for traditions, or groups, or organized religion in general even growing up raised as a Christian in childhood/teenhood. I hated the forced socializing of youth group after already draining my battery at school all day. As someone with about a two-note singing range, and who is also picky about the style of music I like, I never understood why singing was the only way I was able to celebrate faith. Can’t I stand in the back and draw or paint??? No, it is when I am outside alone in nature, taking in all the details of the sky, the tiny veins on a leaf, the beauty and intricacy of moss and mold, the teensy tiny legs of scuttling insects, the many colors (in Michigan, mostly many shades of black, yellow and brown but still!) of a bird feather, that I feel my faith bloom.

No matter what your beliefs are, we can all agree that we are blessed to be surrounded by so much vibrant beauty in our natural world. The plants and living creatures we share our lives with are so detailed and unique in color, pattern, and personality – the most amazing works of art! Our surroundings could have been all gray, streamlined, and plain and still function – but instead, we have been given the greatest gift. We are lucky to be surrounded by such diversity. Meditating on this thought helps me remember gratitude, and feel a connection to the world around me and my place in it.

I am primarily a 2D artist, but was opened up to the possibilities of clay hand building when I took a beginner class with Artshop, the inclusive program I am the lead instructor for. I later ended up as a long term sub now and again for this very same class. Though I never made anything notable out of traditional kiln fired clay, I discovered I could do the mini, picky little detailed things I wanted to with polymer clay, and even better for me I wouldn’t need the use of a kiln. Part clay, part assemblage, I sculpted all of the animals, and combined them with wooden drawing model hands, a sacrificed paint brush of mine that was past its prime, and a miniature picture frame left over from the tiny reliefs I first started creating when getting into polymer clay (The first on the left is still available in my shop, so take a look!).

3D art was always such a struggle for me in class throughout grade school and college, so I never dreamed my first real attempt as an official artist would be accepted into a juried show! My mind is turning over all the possibilities for the future, and I am excited to continue lifelong learning in arts.

Last year’s entry for the Animals In Art juried show was the largest painting I’ve ever completed … This annual January show seems to be one for firsts!

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Exhibitions and Other News

New Art / Disability & Mental Health & Exciting News

One of the reasons my new series is so slow to completion is because I’ve been creating a lot of art specifically for themed exhibits. I typically only do this if the premise speaks to me, and lately a lot of the local exhibit opportunities have really resonated. This piece was created for the Midland Area Cultural Awareness Coalition’s Pop Up Exhibit with the prompt “Our differences make us better together”. I was thinking a lot about how culture doesn’t always mean our country of origin, and how some differences can be internal more than external. In “Symphony”, I aimed to show neurodiversity including both disability and mental health. I used colored pencil for the figures, fabric for their clothing, ink for the birds, and watercolor for the background. I’m typically not a bright color person with my art, but this piece called for it. After I blended every watercolor in my palette into the background, it was … well, very bright and competing a bit too much with the figures even in their high contrast black and white. Solution: a wash of pearl white acrylic overtop. I love that this kerfuffle happened in the first place because having an iridescent foil effect in the background ended up so much cooler than if it would have been left just straight pastel watercolor.

I use birds with figures for symbolism a lot, because I love the movement birds add to an image and birds have long been a visual metaphor for the soul. The different artistic depiction of the birds flowing from each figure are representations of different ways of thinking and processing. I see this all the time with my art classes I teach. In the beginner classes, we will usually create the same basic image together step-by-step, but the exciting variety I see across everyone’s artwork still is truly amazing.

The birds eventually all converge into one stream, mingling together and blending into streaks of color. I didn’t have a title for this piece until the very end, when the word “Symphony” came to mind. Our thoughts, words, ideas, personality, presence, all play a part in our community and society as a whole, and each part is important. Much like a symphony in which each instrument layers together to create the finished song, or a work of art like this one where each splash of paint or piece of fabric layers together to create a recognizable image, all of our different experiences and ways of looking at and processing the world are necessary for innovation and progress.

This piece was one of the most fun mixed media artworks to create that I’ve worked on in awhile, and I was additionally honored with the Best Of Show Award. Prints will be available soon in my online shop, so keep an eye out, or you can always contact me directly.

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Exhibitions and Other News

Summer 2024 Wrap Up & Artsy Photo Dump

This summer came and went so quickly, I wanted to do a recap. This started out as something just for myself and my personal journaling to stop and reflect, but then I thought it may be interesting to those that follow me to hear what I’ve been up to. I love sharing fascinating things related to creativity, but sometimes forget to talk about what I’ve been up to. 

This was truly an art-filled summer. I completed my first largescale mural after years of mini public arts projects. I learned a lot, and gained important experience to carry forward into future projects. I was able to integrate community participation into my design with the overarching concept being a message of inclusion, which is very important to me. The process of allowing anyone and everyone to make their mark in helping with the base coats of color made the inclusion more than just conceptual, but a reality of the artistic process.

I distributed my art and handmade wares into 4 gallery shops covering Midland (Creative 360), Saginaw (Gingerblue), and Bay City (Catworks, Studio 23). I work between these 3 cities as well as an arts educator, and they are all within 30 minutes of each other which makes replenishing sold items something I can do with ease and not a lot of arduous travel or pre-planning. Sometimes I get overly focused on “elsewhere” and while expansion is important, working close by may be what is best for my busy schedule and self care right now. 

I stretched myself and did my first live painting at a wedding. Making a photo-realistic portrait to memorialize someone’s once in a lifetime (or that’s the goal anyway!) day is a lot of pressure. I also had a very limited time, and I’m not usually a wedding person even with people I know well since these sorts of events are typically a social anxiety doozy for me. The experience ended up being a much needed bright spot in what happened to have been a very tough week. It was beautiful, vibrant, inspiring, and uplifting in all the best ways, and was another opportunity that added to my repertoire of services I can offer.

I officially expanded my online shop to not just art, but art and fun fashion and cute collectible things I like in an effort to declutter and simplify life (starting with my wardrobe!) and have a greater customer reach. As we get closer to the holidays, might I suggest you check out the shop for unique wares ;).  

I took a break from some things I consistently do in order to make room for new experiences. I chose not to participate in any art fairs until mid-September, put off any little home repair projects until Fall, didn’t book myself solid with classes or alternatively plan a bunch of trips. I gardened, journaled, did lots of reading, spent time just being outside, increased physical-activity-related hobbies, and cooked at home a lot. It may sound like a boring summer, but it was so regenerative and allowed me to get ready for a busier Fall.

Since it’s not technically Fall yet, I ended my Summer with a wonderful surprise … I was awarded 2nd Place at Studio 23’s Michigan All-State Juried Exhibition for my piece “Breathe” – and it sold the evening of the show! I get very attached to my art so it’s always satisfying yet bittersweet when one sells, but honestly I could not be more excited.

16×20″ Prismacolor Pencil and Mixed Media

What are some memorable moments from your Summer of 2024?

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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 – 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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New Work

‘Patience’ : Mixed Media Surrealism

Chugging along rather slowly, I’ve finished the 4th installment of my current Fruits Of The Spirit series, Patience. This is an apt theme, as this series is one of the slowest yet, and I am not used to working slow! Sometimes it really irks me that I’m over halfway through 2024 and have just this month been finishing up some of my started pieces, being used to finishing 15-20 new artworks a year sometimes. This comes with the territory of working larger, and accepting more opportunities outside of my studio like public art and murals, live painting at events, and vendor markets. The 2 works below were started way back in 2021!

Patience is a loaded concept for me, and a lot of reflection went into this piece as there were a number off different directions it could take.

I’m told I have a lot of patience with “difficult” people, and that I have unconditional patience with my students when I’m teaching. I’ve found my particular flavor of patience through working with individuals with disabilities and mental health issues in some of the art programs I teach through, but for most of my life I would not describe myself as a patient person. Though typically considered advanced academically, I was perpetually late to the party where anything else was concerned growing up, or at least it felt that way. Whether completely accurate or partially a perception based on comparison to my friends or peers, this cultivated a lot of internalized anger; last to learn how to ride a bike, last to get invited to parties or social gatherings, last to go on a date, last to see their favorite band live, last to land a ‘real’ job, last to … I know this is a relatable feeling for many, but to the individual in the moment it feels like life is just passing by. When these typical milestones that may seem insignificant individually keep cumulatively falling by the wayside, it chips away at your self worth – especially when you don’t know why you can’t just ‘get it together’. I always find it funny that when I catch up with people I haven’t seen in a long time, they are amazed by all the things I HAVE done, because I sure don’t see it that way. Sometimes when we don’t reach all those wonderful but pretty bland, typical milestones we end up feeling so singled out that we miss all the unique, interesting milestones we have reached. 

My first art show where I won an award was my college showcase senior year at CMU (Grand prize, baby!). I took to the streets /slash/ internet and asked people what their most obscure goal was, and then illustrated the results and made them into a book. Deep down, I knew that there was no such thing as a “typical” timeline and that we define our own milestones, and I think that’s why that concept so appealed to me.

Patience is knowing that seed you hold can become a forest. Patience is deeply integrated within faith, and there are many times when I think that both patience and faith are just the goofiest things ever. But then I feel a cool shade overhead and suddenly realize that my tiny seed has become a tall, strong tree and I didn’t even notice it was growing. I think my younger self thought certain things would have happened in my life by now that haven’t, BUT I also think my younger self never thought other things would have happened by now that did. 

If you want to see some of the process, a closeups of the actual piece, and hear the symbolism behind the different elements of “Patience” please check out the video below.

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