A R T I S T I C . M I S S I O N Since childhood, I have been enthralled with comics focused on social justice. The Indian comic “Birbal the Just” was my favorite because he was the champion of fairness. Gaining knowledge through popular culture and illustrated books that a child could read, I realized early, the power of multiple forms of art—storytelling and visual art and especially, the cumulative combination of both. This led me to my current practice and mission: bringing together artists with various styles and art forms to inspire each other and create something altogether new, growing community connections and a greater understanding of the power of art, in an interdisciplinary fashion. In my painting practice, I explore psychology through watercolor and acrylic paint, weaving realistic depictions and abstractions of figures and faces to create an overall image of honest emotion. Eschewing expected facial features, chests and limbs, realistic colors, and conventional positioning, my paintings describe whom my subject is, over depicting their appearance. Through these painting techniques and responding to the chemistry of my pigments as much as my subjects, I create psychological studies rooted in my own battle with mental illness. Psychology, pop culture, science, science-fiction, and fantasy inform my work, guiding my strokes, balancing my mind while I balance my compositions.These two practices culminate in teaching. Teaching is the discipline of paying it forward--in my case, through art--changing the world, through one person or group of persons at a time.T E A C H I N G . P H I L O S O P H Y Self-expression, enjoyment, patience, dedication, introspection and compassion are paramount in creating art. I emphasize creativity, individual style, technique, & concept to increase artistic confidence in my classes, mentoring & community programs.I promote knowledge of currently established artists and art history in relation to students’ work, allowing them to acknowledge themselves as vibrant members of a larger art community and accept their individual gifts.S E A . of . V I s I b I l t y I advocate for the integration and inclusion of the disabled community, emphasizing the destigmatization of mentally ill and neurodiverse people of any race/culture/religion, education, class, history of trauma/abuse, gender, and sexual orientation. I believe that with kindness, strong community, and arts programming, we can mitigate discrimination, and individuals can be nurtured to thrive and lead meaningful lives.
Listed skills include Fine Art, Art, Painting, Oil Painting, and 19 others.
