My artist style and essence. That is just one of the interesting things I discussed in an air bnb in Praha this May. I was there with four other adventurous artists from California, Arkansas, Wisconsin and Australia, participating in the Becoming Artist Program, designed by Jessica Serran. That morning, we were preparing for a photo shoot and the opening night of the Innermost Exhibition that was the culmination of the year long program. This was my first foray into the art world outside of my home environment. After a year of painting and planning, I was here seeing this adventure through. I was in a nostalgic provincial city, playing ice-breaker games with Popsicle sticks, eating desserts out of fairy purses hung on trees, blowing through ceramic bird whistles, looking elegant after hair, makeup and a fashion fitting with Eyenie Schultz, and floating around the opening night like a spark igniting good conversation about life and art. Hence, my artistic style and essence: a nostalgic, playful, elegant, spark.
“Would you pull down the moon for me?” “Would you travel to Spain and Italy with me?” “Ask me why I still look so good at my age?” “Ask me why I now live in Prague and not France?” “Why do I like wearing the color red?” These were just a few of the ice breaker questions, on the backs of Popsicle sticks, that I encountered as I moved around the rear garden terrace of the White Pearl Gallery getting to know the people who had come out that evening to view our art. Through these short-lived encounters, I was able to make meaningful connections between the patrons and the subject matter of my art. I encouraged an ex-pat sports writer to view “Recharge/Thursday Night Lights,”a painting I did of my son’s football Event. He said it reminded him of all the American HS football teams he covered in the south. The patron with future travel plans to Spain, enjoyed my painting of my mother asleep on the beach because she felt that she was right there in that moment.
Jessica Serran and her crew, created a week long experience in Prague that continued to encourage me to think of myself as an artist. Working with a curator and promotional photographer brought unexpected learning opportunities. I was looking for a creative experience with travel and the potential to launch me along a new career path and I received just that. If you find yourself in Prague next Spring, look for one of Jessica’s exhibitions. It will be a fun evening, possibly filled with a live performance, like the one performed by Donna Fromm this May, and of course lots of visual art. If the exhibition is in Praha 2, I recommend the Fred and Ginger roof top cafe in the Dancing House for lunch!
