I've been able to call my self an artist, specifically a printmaker for the last 5 years.Today, my show opened at the gallery, at Zea Mays Printmaking.I'm showing alongside two other artists, who are also members of Zea Mays.
I'm supposed to write a small artist statement, about what my art is saying, or why I create it as such, the thought of this makes me queasy. I'm nervous that I won't be able to come up with any good words to describe what makes me tick, as an artist.
I remember printing at the studio for the first time, feeling like a novice, but not in a bad way. They had knowledge and experience behind their printmaking, and they were generous to share it.I absorbed it like a little sponge.Beside finding my style,I also got over my big bad self and realized, I am artist, and it's okay to utter the "a" word.In the past I had always , known I was artistic, but I am nurse, who took an occasional art class.Now, I am a printmaker, and a nurse.
So back to the initial statement, about the queasiness I get about writing about myself as an artist.How to describe, what inspires me to make an image. Nature inspires me, it's the repetitive patterns that occur out of necessity, not just because they look good.I find that awe inspiring for me. It's not just me that is inspired this way, storytellers, are inspired by nature too. And that's the second part of it. I have been told by people, my prints remind them of folk art. I keep an eye out for everything , how people present images, how a kernel of that must works it's way into my visual memories. I draw a fish, it's part realistic, part fantastic, part Dr. Seuss. It's my version of a fish, and somewhere in that, is a memory of a feeling, that I present, how it makes me feel, which i hope make you feel something too.
Not sure if this can be considered an artist statement, but I consider it a first draft.
I think I will sleep on it, and consider this again tomorrow.
