I don’t think I’ve become developed enough as an artist to require a statement, but maybe I can talk about what inspires me.
I think my first real eye-opening experience with art was during my 6th grade field trip to the National Art Gallery in Washington DC. I stood before Chuck Close’s piece, Fanny, and thought, “What’s the big deal? It’s just a giant picture of a grandma…” until I heard it’s process and medium.
I took closer steps and was blown away. This photo-realistic image wasn’t a photo, it was an image composed of fingerprints… a million fingerprints it seems, it was a work of art the artist laid his hands on everywhere.
Little did I know, at that time, this is what brought me along the road to art.
I never thought I’d try to live my life through art in the future, I had had those normal parent-induced thoughts like a doctor or a lawyer… but it didn’t inspire me. It didn’t give me that feeling that Chuck Close’s work did for me at age 12.
So I am here now, still lost and confused as before, but trying to find direction through my work.
Many things inspire me, books, characters, friends, events… everything in my life makes me think and when I think I think like scenes stolen from a filmstrip.
I might see someone packing their things into a taxi and imagine what sort of trip she might be starting, what kind of dialogue she’s having with the driver, whether she was embarking on a new journey or simply revisiting and returning home with fresh stories to tell. I may imagine a shot with a subtle smile as she fondly reminisces the night before… etc.
This is what inspires me and this is my purpose.
I want to create something that tells a story, can inspire others, or something that’s just simply pretty, or interesting.
I am still just learning everything, from bookbinding, to using editing software, so bear with me as I journey across wide rivers and tall mountains to find out where I belong, and where my talents lie.