Artist Statement.
In recent years, my work has changed radically from my abstracted work to currently a figure-based exploration. Story is an element that has always been very important in all my work, but in my current pieces, the narratives are less concealed. I am inspired to do so as I connected heavily with Clarissa Pinkola-Estés’ work titled ‘Women Who Run with Wolves’. Using Jungian principles of the use of story as projections of the psyche, she explores the essential soul essence of women and their inherent wildness. I found this to be exactly what I was asking myself when I was in a place of shadow and I found myself more closely relating to the antihero; perhaps misunderstood, experiencing great personal upheaval, and their story not yet concluded.
At the core, my work is hinged on the following thought: Through changes in the landscape of self, can a “home” be found in opposition to isolation, specifically the feeling of mental loneliness? Because my search is centered around discovery of self and being the truest version of self that I can be, I find that I connect with women in stories dealing with difficult situations. With the thought of story transcending and becoming a deeper discussion the works actively reference the archetype of the three-faced aspect of goddess; Mother, Maiden, and Crone. The Holy Mother as a nurturer and mother energy, Maiden, sometimes depicted as a female warrior as seen in Joan of Arc, but often impetuous in youth, and finally the Crone with the utilization of Baba Yaga, an owner of knowledge but misunderstood as a harbinger of the end. My narratives are depictions of an ageless goddess with the ability to see past mere mortal understanding, isolated in her purpose, but approachable and understandable in her aspect as she is purposefully paired with animals and environments.
Connecting with the figures on an empathic level is a pivotal part of the creating experience. Often, in the early stages of a piece I will read a story and research figures with an aim to meditate on what feelings they evoke within self; objects or items that appear inherently magical, such as a corked vial with a human tooth, or in the mundane with opulent jewelry and armor. These items are intended to deliver an implied story to the viewers. I also use dreamwork and imagery that I experience in dreams to add layers to my subject. I often have dreams featuring specific animals, and with metaphysical meanings, in mind, I include them as spirit guides to the subject or apply an attribute of the creature.
Color is important in this work; I am heavily influenced by science fiction and fantasy art, which often utilizes radiant color to depict wildness, danger, and interest, and soft colors to denote a soft and isolating feeling. Conversely, I explore the dream-like quality that can be achieved with graphite and the nuance of the medium. There is a naturally ephemeral state that automatically lends a mood to my renderings, as well as different mark making techniques to inspire pockets of energy. I like to think of classic fantasy book cover art, as the artist working in tandem with the storyteller to capture the audience’s imagination. To further push the idea of the eldritch and unworldly, iconography that I associate with religious artworks as well as items included in Baroque Still-Life can launch a narrative further. An example of such would the use of the gold nimbus radiates a strength in spiritual elements, as is found in religious paintings of divine saints to the holy family to easily identify a sense of holiness as wells as an open book or candle. Here is a figure that is more than a story, it is trying to strive to be more, a representation of principles.
I am also exploring the precedent of depictions of divine femininity through art history, frequently depicted through the male gaze. A perfect example would be Waterhouse’s renderings of The Lady of Shalott. He is skilled in the depiction of the human figure, and I like to consider his renderings of this figure through my own lens. I frequently play with the idea of sight and truth by clouding the eyes of my figures, as Odin gave his eye to be able to see into the beyond. The third eye in the context of the work is asking the viewer to be open to multiple narratives while alerting them that the discussion is beyond our body’s journey. This is significant in the work as a reminder that there is more to the understanding of being than our corporeal bodies: there is the spirit.
Current Influences:Jenny MorganJames JeanTrina Schartt-HymanAlex GarantRebecca MorganAlphonse MuchaJohn William Waterhouse