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I color madness.​

In bold strikes of pencil and pen, I repurpose the shackles of my chronic anxiety into fantastic wings of folly... of abstraction... of defiance!​

Experience my journey as I tackle mental illness in bright, gasps of COLOR. 
The fury of her mindless loops
Hope is the thing with leaves
Water out of Sunlight
Kowloon
Bat-like thought-wings
Gandiegow

Artist Statement & Process

My art is the mining of compulsion. As a sufferer of panic disorder and OCD, intrusive thoughts are a constant, irascible enemy. Relief from these gremlins is often found in the endless, ridiculous repetition of lines, forms, whatevers. Of course, having a Masters degree in ancient art history, these shapes rumbling around my head are unique, to say the least. ​After thirty years of this manic rigamarole, I wanted to create something, dare I say, beautiful out of the mental illness that has shaped so much of my life. ​So, I put the black and white figures to paper and drenched its bleakness in glorious, mad color. Hence, an abstract artist was born out of a girl and the gremlin in her head.​   -

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The 'patient zero' found: Tobermory Harbor Admiralty Chart of 1836.

Rough sketch of major shapes repeating again and again just ever so slightly skewed.

A strategic cropping of the mash-up that strikes an artistic chord.

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Outline sketched to paper with base colors applied.

Outline turns dark while blues begin to bloom.

Contrasting colors emerge as the blues crest and "Gandiegow" is born...

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Gandiegow

Portfolio

Below you will find my portfolio. Included is a thumbnail or crop of each work plus its title, original source (i.e. "patient zero") and all manner of particulars. Please be sure to click on the image to see the full artwork. 

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Additionally, i believe what makes my work stand out from the majority of the abstract art world is my chosen medium: colored pencil. This labor-intensive process is no joke when your mind wants something dynamic and complete RIGHT NOW. There is no "right now" here, my friends. However, after finding some success in the writing world, I find my hands fit more comfortably, and confidently, around pencil than a brush. 

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Thank you for visiting!.

Please click on an image for title, backstory, availability and specs. Thank you!

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