I’ve taken some time off this summer from teaching to focus on myself. I have been going off into new directions with my work, and I’m enjoying working with different mediums and allowing for a freedom with my artistic expression. I struggle with staying focused and with feeling this dire need to have a cohesive body of finished work. I have noticed although I am straying a bit in several directions, when I view my artwork together, it is actually making for a more interesting body of work. There is definitely a style of sorts and I actually haven’t strayed too much from my usual concepts. I have maybe added to them and combined some ideas. At times I feel I have been a bit all over the place, but I am working on new forms and processes of drawing, painting and mark making. Although I do not feel I have reached the level I would like to with this recent work I am happy with where it is at the moment. The biggest challenge is to not get unmotivated, discouraged or bored with the work in order to keep it moving forward.
“Delicate Abstractions: From The Abstract, Form Emerges” is an ongoing exploration of nature and form, as well as a constant love affair with materials and process.
“The form and the process must always be connected to the psychological” Louise Bourgeois
 Maria’s artwork is focused and inspired by nature, biological forms and patterns, the anatomy of the human body and our emotions; combined with color, line, and materials. Thoughts such as the apprehension of the unknown, undiscovered and the unfamiliar and things we struggle to grasp that the earth gives us… our skin, its vulnerability. The vulnerability and decay of nature and within our bodies. Everything she does relates to nature.
“I am intrigued by the concept of hybridization; the fusing of biological forms that at first glance appear to be unrelated. I enjoy contrast something we know as beautiful and combining elements that may be off-putting or less expected. I am also totally in love with the materials I use, and the processes in which I use them.
As an abstract artist I sees things very conceptually. Beauty in a way of images being broken down and reassembled. Taking an area within view or imagined and recreating it as a new and enlightened image. Recreating and recombining nature’s patterns, making them even more beautiful and unique. Making them appear in ways that maybe nature intended them to be or not. Without nature there wouldn’t be art. I feel my work shows us nature’s beauty as well as it’s vulnerability and ugliness; it’s complexities and its similarities while intersecting the ideas of the familiar and the unknown.”
In this show you will see a variety of materials. “This work began with my studying printmaking at Pratt Institute and has evolved since. Some included are etching, latex, handmade papers, watercolor, inks and unprimed canvas, which I adore. The rawness of paper and unprimed canvas really sets the tone for me every time. Most recently I have begun to add visuals and ideas about the circus! This is where I am headed now and can be seen in my most recent painting titled “Reaching Out to New Horizons.”
I celebrate Earth Day every day. My artwork and every day creative mind is always focused and inspired by nature, science, biology, patterns, life, color, and emotion. The apprehension of the unknown, undiscovered, forgotten and the unfamiliar. (which makes me whole) What we struggle to grasp that the earth gives us… our skin, its vulnerability. The vulnerability and decay of nature and our bodies…. Everything I do and think about ties into nature.
As an abstract artist I see things very conceptually. Beauty in a way of images being broken down and reassembled. Taking an area within view of imagined and recreating it as a new and enlightened image.. Recreating nature’s patterns making them even more beautiful and unique. Making them in ways that maybe nature intended them to be or not.
Without nature there wouldn’t be art. But without artists we would not appreciate it’s true beauty.
So thank you to the Earth for all it’s wonder and thank you to our past and present creative minds for enriching and being open-minded, innovative, inventive, ingenious, imaginative and inspired by what it gives to us!
I finally started working in a sketchbook again. I use my sketchbook from back to front. I can’t seem to start with the first page! Even when I do, I go a few pages in first! I haven’t really been faithful to a sketchbook since I graduated. I am enjoying the “less pressure” feel and using it to experiment with some new ideas. These ideas are more dare I say “commercial” in nature but I am trying to keep my particular style intact.
I know I can pump these out big time if I needed to but something AS ALWAYS keeps me from producing the amount of work I should or could be doing.
I wish I knew exactly what it is that holds me back. Well for one, I still feel like I am my only fan!
