Why do “mixed media” art? Sometimes, I wish I could stick to one, give it my whole heart, and become as masterful as I’m capable of being. But there are so many types of art that interest and inspire me that I cannot choose one. I was in construction for a decade and a licensed contractor. I remember my mother watching me paint a room once, and she told me, “Everything you do looks like art to me. The way you move about painting this room looks like ballet.” Now, that’s a bit over the top, and certainly, a mother looking through rose-colored glasses! But I do believe “life is art.” Construction workers, nurses, doctors, scientists, janitors, teachers, all of us create masterpieces in different ways. I see art all around me, and perhaps that’s why I bring so many different mediums into my pieces.
My paternal grandfather went to the seashore in Northern Ireland in the ’40s to collect things that washed ashore during WWII. Pieces of planes or battleships may seem like trash to some, but he could turn trash into treasure. I bring him and his love for refurbishing unloved and forgotten things back to life into my art.
My mother and father kept goats, chickens, ducks, and rabbits when we were young. My mother lived in a very beautiful “circle of life” type of way. We used manure and eggs from our animals to fertilize the vegetables, fruits, and herbs in our garden. We shared the bountiful fruits of our labor with our animal family members, the goat’s beards tickling our fingers as we fed them carrots, the chickens clucking and jumping to get dinner scraps, and the rabbit noses twitching in anticipation of nibbling on aromatic herbs. Everyone helped, and everyone was gifted in return. I bring my mother and her love of the earth, moon, stars, and plants into my art.
When you view my art, you won’t find a single piece that’s done by a master who has worked in a single method of art for decades. You will find a “jack of many trades” artist. Every piece is inspired by immense grief, fear, joy, yearning, or love. You may find an image, design, or colors that delight you and you want to add to your collection. But if we’re lucky, you may find a piece that brings you comfort in grief or can express your love for another in gift form. Either way, enjoy. And remember, we’re all artists. YOU are an artist. Find the art in what you do every day and find it all around you.