How did you come to get involved with this project?
Lauren Snelling at OZ Arts contacted me about participating.
How would you describe your artistic style?
That is a loaded question! I have been exploring materials and techniques for a long time, studying styles from representational to abstract. Over the past ten years, the current body of work has evolved into shapes and colors. I would consider it a mix between deconstructivist and cubist. In other words, contemporary!
Please describe your vision for this project.
This work, “Rain Dance,” has evolved out of my recent work with mosaic tile. Using the guitar as a three-dimensional canvas, I was seeing sounds as dancing shapes and colors. I considered the contour lines of the instrument as pathways, imagining how these color fragments travel down from the neck to the body of the guitar, like sounds building strength and becoming bigger shapes. Like the notes of a musical composition, colors flow out of the instrument and rain down on the viewer, creating the illusion of movement, like a visual dance.
How did you come up with the creative concept?
I saw it first in my mind, fully completed, which is usually how I start a new work. I have to “see” it before I can create it. It actually reminds me of an early painting in my career, entitled “Blue Guitar.” I always imagined that work was more like a study for a sculpture, and was pleased to have the opportunity to develop that concept further.
Please describe your process for fabricating/creating the project.
I made preliminary sketches to map out the placement of shapes and get a feel for the overall aesthetic. I gave the guitar a light sanding, then I drew the design onto the guitar surface and taped each area individually before painting, with multiple layers of color in each area. I started with the neck of the guitar and worked my way down onto the guitar body. It was a tedious process. Then I applied a clear sealer before delivering it to the body shop for a final protective clear coat.
What did you enjoy most about working on this project?
I am excited whenever I get to push the boundaries of what I have already done, and try something new, especially when the process results in new techniques for the future. I was able to research about painting on fiberglass, which was a new opportunity for me. A lot of considerations had to be made that don’t normally happen on canvas. For example, the guitar took a trip to an auto body shop to be clear coated!
Being able to collaborate with such a great group of innovators and creative visionaries, including some of Nashville’s finest local artists, is always a wonderful thing. Also, the opportunity to share my work with the Nashville community is priceless.
What piece of advice would you give to aspiring artists?
Don’t get too distracted by what other people are doing. Invest time into yourself. Focus on improving your artistic skills and refining your voice. Your work will make room for you in the community only when you invest in your work. Give yourself permission to dream beyond what you already know how to do, and then seek out the skills (and the people) you need to know to do it.