How My Style is Influenced by Learn, Do, Teach
I was delighted when Carrie Brummer interviewed me for her fabulous "Artist Strong: How to be an Artist" series! During our interview, we talked about artistic style and what that evolution has been like for me. Hope you enjoy this excerpt, you can read the full interview here.
Can you describe the evolution of your artistic style? (Have you always made art with this unique vision or what was your turning point into recognizing this style was your authentic “you”?)
This has always been challenging for me, because I change my mind and evolve frequently. I’m the queen of reinvention! As a kid, I did those “How to Draw” books, and became skillful at realism. I think my artistic style really started developing in high school, when my family took a trip to Bali—it profoundly changed my life. I learned to do batik painting with dye, and the reductive layering technique is still important to my work today. I also got to be an illustrator for a local newspaper’s teen section, which provided powerful affirmation as well as a good challenge.
My style has always been evolving, but I’ve always been interested in realistic portrayals of flora and fauna, as well as richly layered imagery with vibrant colors.
Most recently, my work has been influenced by color epiphanies and by teaching and by the idea of “learn—do—teach.” What gives me the most satisfaction is when I make a new discovery when I’m painting or making art, then I implement it in my fine art work, and then I immediately want to turn around and teach it and share it with the world. I enjoy inviting others along on the adventure! It feels like a complete artistic process to me.
So, my style goes beyond just my work—my work is just one step in the process of discovering, implementing, and then teaching others how to create.
You are invited to completely immerse yourself in the creative process and come on a grand adventure with me. I love to teach and you are welcome to join me in person, on a wilderness retreat in the Oregon old growth forests, or online in my Wild Wonder e-course, now instant access!