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| handle with care, 2010 |
crappity, crap, crap. i have to write an artist statement. this is a hard one for me. i am not into the "deep" stuff as far as statements (or art) go. i make art, i play, i sometimes get a good result. i like objects, people, shapes, patina. i like all that stuff to look nice together. i like color. it's fun to put colors together that look beautiful. for me, it's not about something higher. it's just putting all of the elements together until i get just the right combination. and then i'm done, and ready to do it all over again.
here are things i like to use in my art over and over:
circles--they seem safe and comfortable.
stripes--they just look orderly to me, and i'm a virgo. love order!!
lines--well, i don't know how you'd create something without at least an implied line...do you?
ordinary objects and people-- they are interesting to me. i like the mundane for it's simple beauty.
red--it's happy.
green--it's safe and comfortable, like circles.
blue--i used to hate it, then i forced myself to use it because i hated it. and now i love it.
brown--it's like green only safer and more comfortable.
texture and patina--i love things that are used and have the touch of a person or of mother nature. if it's not there, i try and create it in a believable way.
handwriting--it's almost a lost art. nobody writes letters any more. and pencil? it's just so beautiful! smudgy, sharp or dull depending on the writer, and that shimmer of graphite. wow.
numbers and letters--hmmm. i like to use them as elements, and they usually don't say anything. just elements of design. 3 is a personal favorite. i think because it has circles. i also like X. so strong for such a tiny thing.
the virgin mary--she's an icon. i'm not the religious type, but i have a huge collection of Mary in many forms. she reminds me of my grandmother, who was such a kind woman. she just makes me feel comfortable. like circles. and green.
here is what influences me:
pop culture--sometimes i just drive around and look at stuff. i call it my artistic education. it gets my brain ticking. i look at people, buildings, products in the stores, old stuff, trash, fashion, advertising.
old stuff--back to the patina thing.
magazines--(all types including boring ones like consumer reports). i'm kind of addicted. it's like driving around, only sitting still. and you can bring them in the bathtub.
graphic design--letters, numbers, color combinations, flattening of the picture plane.
artists--oh god. i look at everything i can. how can i even make a list? i could start today, and not finish for days. it's impossible.
i wish i were the kind of person who could take all of this information and make up a gorgeous paragraph or two that turns into an artist statement. i guess i am going to have to do that really soon.
