FIRST BLOG!!!

I have always wanted to create a blog about art and get some feedback about my artwork form others around the country. I guess I should start telling a little about my self in this first blog. So, here it goes for the record...

Artist Statement:

I was born and raised in Spartanburg. I have always been interested in art and drawing as far back as I can remember. I can remember doodling and always drawing on my homework and papers in school. As I grew older my passion for art grew. In high school I took AP Art, which allowed me to explore mediums and subject matter. By this exploration I found self-portraits and how I could use emotions and mediums/styles to create works that engaged to viewer. After graduating from high school in 2006, I attended the local tech school for a year and a half before attending USC Upstate. I am seeking a degree in Art Education (keep my in mind, I need a job after a graduate in May 2011) and a minor in Art History.
My personal art functions as a means to express myself. I can let the expression of my emotions emerge from the paint, rather than explaining myself verbally to the viewer. Even though I think a certain piece is expressing a definite emotion, viewers might make their own assumptions about the work. I think this is a good thing because viewers need to interpret the work in their own way. Although, I contend that the artist’s intention should always be kept in mind.
My artwork functions as a means of dialogue. I hope it sparks conversation about the viewer’s own emotions and experiences. The experience the artist and viewers make with an artwork is priceless. There isn’t another way to have that emotion evoked other than looking at a particular piece of art. Some of my art might evoke the emotion of anger within the viewer or another piece might remind the viewer of a personal experience of a trip or something else. The value of the artwork is more than a price tag to me; it’s the experience that the viewer has with an artwork
My self portraits challenge the statue quo by denying gender stereotypes and social norms. In America we think that men are suppose to keep their emotions in “check.” I like the idea that my art contributes to what I hope is a growing trend, that it becomes more acceptable for men to express their emotions openly. In Self-portrait, 2006 I am trying to convey the emotion of sadness and depression. In American society the man of the house is never to revile this outside himself.

So that's that. See you next time.