artediem

Professional artist for 15 years- painter, illustrator, graphic recorder, art educator.

Years ago I swapped through nervousness.org- it was fun and a great way to make tiny bits of art that weren't for a client, that I didn't have to live with and I found it fairly freeing- a great way to address artist' block. Small bits of art meant small commitments. I still see it this way although I have enjoyed organizing swaps in a rather old school way via my webpage. This allows me to invite all ages, including my clients as well as students. Swaps are perfect ways to show students all the ways in which a single project can be approached-- everyone sends their work to us and we swap them out- nervousness.org style, if you ever did that.

I live in the U.S. Pacific NW. For me, family is first- we have a great time together and I enjoy their company. I love the living among the old trees, being able to ski in the mountains and comb the beaches, so this is the perfect place for me to be. It's where we can backpack, hike, ski, bike, run, camp, kayak, climb a hill for a new view, hop a ferry, walk our dogs, garden etc.

In short, I love the outdoors- the sight of it, the feel of it (air that moves, earth under bare feet, diving into a lake, etc) the sound of it (bird songs, frogs at night, chickens singing their egg song, air in the trees, waves crashing, etc). It reminds me we are alive in a system much bigger than ourselves. There are days where there is simply too much roof over my head, too much air that doesn't live and breathe and I need to be outside.

I am a believer in SPICE= simplicity, peace, integrity, community and equity. I try to keep that in mind when life gets crazy. It's a busy time of life for me- working, two kids, etc so I try to be intentional in what I take on and try the best I can to have balance.

I really enjoy and appreciate art that reflects the maker- it shows that hands made this and a heart experienced that and a brain put it together. It hints that someone enjoyed the process, escaped for a bit. I love color, paint, drawing, mixes. I love the use of texture such as a sewn card. I am not a big fan of cut and paste, stickers (definitely not a fan) nor store bought stamps. To me, they tend to hide the maker in it all.