ME AT THE AGE OF THREE
When I was a young child, my sisters and I would sit around my dad as he sketched all sorts of things. I mostly remember his birds and big cats. He had a large sketch book, and he would whip these sketches out as if they just flowed out of him naturally. I could watch him for hours if allowed. I remember a sketch he did of his great grandpa and even of me and my older sister when we were babies. I think my love of art stemmed from these early childhood years. I appear to have inherited my dad’s natural ability to draw. When I was in elementary school my report cards indicated that art was the only subject I seemed interested in. When I was in high school, art was the only subject I aced. I remember a large scale black and white acrylic painting I did of Tom Selleck. The project was to scale a small picture and scale a large paper and draw what was in each portion. This was too hard for me. What was easier for me was to just free hand sketching it out. I did not realize that not everyone had this skill. My art teacher entered this painting into a contest of over 100 contestants where I won second place. I was very proud of that painting and wish I still had it.
I was an avid Bob Ross watcher which my children remember well. I wanted to paint like him. Then when I finally learned to paint "Bob Ross" style, I learned that it was not my aesthetic. He made it look effortless and easy. I wanted to find my own style. Which I have found and am quickly mastering. Now that I am nearing retirement and my children are grown I plan make art my "after" career carrying me through my later years.
I plan to someday paint birds and big cats to honor my childhood memories. I remember his birds to be fluffy and his cats to be fearless. I am still perfecting these types of subjects as – it appears – people are my strong suit. So, for now, I paint women. To me women represent strength, family, tenacity, love, and comfort. I wish to depict this in my work. I paint in abstract realism and strive to have a romantic dreamy look to my paintings. My dream is for my artwork to bring the same joy and happiness to those who collect it as it brings to me. Painting is truly my happy place (aside from my family of course).