It wasn’t that long ago that I didn’t believe my art belonged on a canvas.
Art had never been my main focus. I grew up wanting to be a scientist. I graduated high school and went to college with a future career in Zoology as my main focus. Later I transferred my focus to Environmental Science. Then, my focus shifted again. Life brings changes and the way you think things will go is not what happens.
I became a mom and adapted myself and my identity to fit that role. Or at least what I thought my role needed to be. At first, my focus was all about my son and his care. Paradoxically. I had very little time to myself but, also lots of time to think. My son was growing fast and I found myself with a strong desire to document every precious moment. Armed with our new digital camera, I became obsessed with photographing my son. This inevitably led to scrapbooking. Creating scrapbooks felt like a worthy hobby. I got to be creative while also productively documenting my family memories.
Scrapbooking was a hobby that I enjoyed for many years. I discovered new ideas and scrapbooking communities on the internet. One of those communities was Get It Scrapped. It was here that I learned basic art and design principles. Within that community were several mixed-media artists. These artists introduced me to new techniques to add to my scrapbook layouts and eventually, I began practicing Mixed Media in art Journals.
Art journaling enabled me in many ways. As a child, creating things had been a means to relax and tune the world out. Now I was doing that again. Not because it was a hobby that I also considered productive but because I wanted to create something with no other purpose than “ just because”. Art journals became a safe space to explore my thoughts. There were times I used my art journals to help me process mental health issues. Other times, I joined groups to collaborate on a creative idea or to play creative games. Those collaborations are the ones I usually share on my scrapbooking blog. These collaborations made me bold enough to move from the journal into other forms. They also made me brave enough to share my work.
Art Journaling became most relevant to me during a significant time in my life. My son was in high school and soon to graduate. My role as a mother was changing. I began thinking more about my own identity, about who I had been in the past and what that identity might look like in the future. I turned my focus towards art but I would need a big shift in thinking about my art to believe that it belonged on a canvas. That shift came when I returned to fiber arts through the Stitched Faces series. I began working on this series around the time my son entered college. I returned to my roots in embroidery and put my spin on things by combining thread with watercolor and fabric. This was the catalyst I needed to take my work from the art journal to the canvas. I now had more focus but lacked a clear path forward.
A little over a year ago, I discovered the Artist in Residency in Motherhood program. Though I am not in the typical time frame of parenthood that the program was intended for, it provided a foundation and outline for me to adapt and follow. The program has helped define my goals and allowed me to create a path forward. This website is part of that path.
Some of my goals include exploring social and cultural norms and mental health issues. I am also excited to join in other artist projects and collaborations. CES Art Evolution Lab is meant to be a positive space to encourage artistic growth for myself and others. I am excited to share my journey with you. I hope my endeavors encourage you to explore your own creative identity.