About Me
I was always innately artistic. There were several different times in my childhood where my parents would remind me of the glimmers of creativity they saw in me.
My mom was stationed in Camp Zama, Japan, for several years during her service in the United States Army. I became obsessed with anything Hello Kitty (and Hello Kitty's friends) as a small human being, during this time. My mom always reminds me of how she walked into our living room to my 'dime' hello kitty masterpiece laid out on the carpeted floor. What do I mean by dime masterpiece? Well, I took all of the dimes we had in this change container and meticulously laid out the shape of Hello Kitty's face and bow. I must have been intrigued with money at the time (I had no understanding of its value) but must have likened it to a blank canvas. This leads me to the next story where I utilized some bills as precisely that - a blank canvas. I wielded a very permanent- permanent marker and used it to draw on some bills I found. This was the day I gained some sense of the value of money or more so that it is not a suitable medium for my artwork.
Although I was creative and was recognized for my art in adolescence, I never once considered growing up to be an artist. Not once. I also grew up quiet, introspective, and keenly interested in science and how things worked. And this is the path that I took into my adult years, at least until December 2020, when I started my first piece as an 'artist'. All of my life, I let ALL other things overshadow my interest in art and creation. If I am honest with myself, I know a significant portion was a confidence issue, a fear issue. I didn't believe in my ability or my potential. When I did find the time to draw, I always stuck to what I knew - pencil and paper. Nothing more. I would be so intrigued by the art I'd see with all of the hues of the rainbow, using color pencil, paint, pastels, etc. But I couldn't do that; I operated in black and white, and how could I create something using more than one color (or lack thereof - black). Not only would I have to worry about the various values (lightness & darkness) of the graphite I put on the paper, but I would now be introducing numerous colors that all had various tints and shades of their own. The possibility of combinations was overwhelming, and ultimately I succumbed to my fear and took a 10-year hiatus from art to focus on becoming a young, "successful" adult.
My mom was stationed in Camp Zama, Japan, for several years during her service in the United States Army. I became obsessed with anything Hello Kitty (and Hello Kitty's friends) as a small human being, during this time. My mom always reminds me of how she walked into our living room to my 'dime' hello kitty masterpiece laid out on the carpeted floor. What do I mean by dime masterpiece? Well, I took all of the dimes we had in this change container and meticulously laid out the shape of Hello Kitty's face and bow. I must have been intrigued with money at the time (I had no understanding of its value) but must have likened it to a blank canvas. This leads me to the next story where I utilized some bills as precisely that - a blank canvas. I wielded a very permanent- permanent marker and used it to draw on some bills I found. This was the day I gained some sense of the value of money or more so that it is not a suitable medium for my artwork.
Although I was creative and was recognized for my art in adolescence, I never once considered growing up to be an artist. Not once. I also grew up quiet, introspective, and keenly interested in science and how things worked. And this is the path that I took into my adult years, at least until December 2020, when I started my first piece as an 'artist'. All of my life, I let ALL other things overshadow my interest in art and creation. If I am honest with myself, I know a significant portion was a confidence issue, a fear issue. I didn't believe in my ability or my potential. When I did find the time to draw, I always stuck to what I knew - pencil and paper. Nothing more. I would be so intrigued by the art I'd see with all of the hues of the rainbow, using color pencil, paint, pastels, etc. But I couldn't do that; I operated in black and white, and how could I create something using more than one color (or lack thereof - black). Not only would I have to worry about the various values (lightness & darkness) of the graphite I put on the paper, but I would now be introducing numerous colors that all had various tints and shades of their own. The possibility of combinations was overwhelming, and ultimately I succumbed to my fear and took a 10-year hiatus from art to focus on becoming a young, "successful" adult.
Here I was, a 29 year old, 9 months pregnant, married to my soul mate, progressing through my corporate engineering job knowing I owed it to my Creator, I owed it to myself, and I owed it to those who believed in me to finally take the step to nurture my God-given talent. My first child, Nehemiah James Leandre, still unborn at the time, helped me to realize that. During my maternity leave, I needed to try, and I needed to be a confident role model to this new little light of mine. Plus, I must say that the momentary mental break from the corporate world freed capacity for me to create and just be.
I am so happy to have taken this step in my art career. I share this somewhat vulnerable story as it is a part of who I am as an artist and a person. Seeking every day to trust my God more, me more, and learning to create confidently. If you read through all of this, I genuinely appreciate your interest. I hope that you stick around to witness this growth in me and that my journey will also inspire others.
