Some rules are made to be broken. The trick is knowing which ones to break.
After 3 decades as a nurse, leading vaccine trials in Bardstown, KY, I have dedicated my career to the rules of science. To the protocol and procedures. The meticulous charting. The necessary tedium of managing vaccine trials, like the ones for COVID-19.
Those rules are sacred because those rules save lives.
But the rules of art? Those are mine to break.
At 49 years of age, I attended an art workshop and discovered a passion for creating fine art. Through exploration, learning the basics, and studying the work of great artists, I have developed my style, an eclectic mix of impressionism and expressionism.
Through my own instinctual and impulsive brush strokes, I find freedom. Creating is my escape, a place to refocus and restore my mind.
I work primarily with acrylic paint but use many other mediums to create interest. I am drawn to bold brush strokes, vibrant interplay of colors, and striking marks.
Since becoming an artist, my eyes see the world differently. I am inspired by everything. People, landscapes, animals, emotions, shapes, colors, shadows. My style remains consistent within my paintings, but I will not limit myself to one genre. I thrive on the challenge of creating something new, relying on my imagination to take me further than what is seen.
I have learned that when I trust my instincts, look away from my reference, and stop thinking, I produce my best work. Art that tells a story within the layers, creates excitement with unexpected elements of texture and color.
As an artist, I can bend the rules, and allow my brush to have control. I can inspire and I can be inspired. I can quiet my chaos.