Finding my Voice

Coming to art from a technical field, listening to many other artists made me a bit confused about what “finding your voice” really meant. Then I came across Grace Hartigan, who is in part celebrated because she has several styles. Other artists produce several different  lines of work with diefferent styles. Eventually I decided I could create a consistent style in a series, but the style that came from a lifetime of painting would have to come of its own without my forcing the process. As time has progressed, I have decided that style is at the command of the project or series.

This series is about the struggle of identifying my voice. I use asemic writing, (which is mark-making that looks like discernible letters but has not linguisitic meaning) to signify the unknown words in my art journey that would eventually become words I could use to communicate what I am doing.

Asemic writing elements occur throughout each of these paintings. I becane fascinated with asemic writing years ago as a curiosity. I found a book about a number of artist’s work in asemic writing and was inspired, but at the time has no place to put it. At one of my early studio classes, another artist used it most beautifully and rekindled my interest in it.

I have come to understand my interest and inspiration for my work is expressing ideas of what out perceptions are before we become aware of them. Asemic writing fits nicely in expressing pre-conceptual images.