Artist Statement
I would describe my work as playful and peaceful; my intention is to pass those feelings on to the viewer. My greatest inspiration comes from music. It is my portal to the divine. I actually let the notes and words of the song tell me how to paint. Music allows me to experience God and through this same channel, he communicates through me to the world. While immersed in the creative process colors, shapes and patterns will come to me seemingly out of nowhere. I often become seduced by curiosity, experimenting with different techniques and materials.
Because of the role music plays in my creative process there is a recurring theme in many of my pieces: music and art united. I like using simple, colorful designs to make people smile. The designs are representative of my feelings while creating them. In a sense, each of my works is a snapshot of the song in my heart at a moment in time. My pieces reflect my own inner joy and my intention for my artwork is to cultivate joy in others. My simple hope is that someone else will pause, breathe, and smile because of a piece I've created.
Artist Bio
I was born and raised in Port Arthur, Texas. My creative education began at a young age. My father’s paycheck came from the local oil refinery, but he was a musician at heart. He taught me how to sing, write, and play the piano and guitar. A girly-girl with a wild imagination, I remember always having a Crayola in my hand. I’d play dolls in the monkey grass and pick flowers from my mother’s garden. She was a school nurse, but it was her after-school hobbies that bonded us. Cooking and gardening together, I was always by her side, except when I snuck away to draw on surfaces I shouldn’t with my crayons. My mom may have fostered my love of outdoors and fascination with nature.
I was always a good student, staying glued to my books so I could leave my small town as fast as possible. In 2001 I moved to Austin and began my freshman year at The University of Texas. I found the opportunities of the big city and giant university astounding. I studied marketing, but also dabbled in creative outlets, taking art classes and designing costumes for theatrical productions.
After graduating college, I saved money for a year, packed up my bare necessities, and sold everything else. I had been offered my dream job, to teach SCUBA diving at a local resort on a tiny island in the Bahamas. The next two months would be the hardest of my life. Without friends, family, or any real work to do, I finally accepted that I was in over my head. Whatever I was searching for, it was not on Andros Island. But I was determined to find what I was looking for—the oasis I envisioned in my mind so many times.
I moved to the US Virgin Island of St. Croix for one year and it changed my life—this time for the better. I found my love and my purpose. My love came from Mississippi and my purpose came the day I had the accident. Looking back, I should have always known my calling. But for some reason it took a 42-foot catamaran to knock some sense into me. After a concussion and a trip to the ER, the thought of returning to work on the boat terrified me. This change in perspective allowed me to quit my job and make the bold decision to stay home every day and make art. I felt different, as if God had spoken to me. It was at this time in my life that I committed to being an artist.
Since then I have left the islands and now I call Nashville my home. My artwork is inspired by a love of music and an insatiable curiosity. Each piece is an experiment using different techniques and materials. I hope that you enjoy it. less
amtkrishna
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