Before anything else, I would classify myself as a pattern artist. Don't get me wrong, I can do a lot of other styles with a variety of different media. A common misconception from someone standing on the sidelines of the art world is that an artist can do only one thing. We have talent for one look only and in all others, we fall short. This is not always true. We choose.
I feel like I didn't choose or create my style like others maybe do. But I did decide I liked where I was going. Years ago I made this amazing vintage wallpaper piece that truly inspired me as I went. After that, I couldn't quite figure out how to move on from there. In my mind everything was falling short. I thought my wallpaper piece would be a one time thing. But in the end it was a jumping off point from which my best creations have been born.
I am inspired by a lot of things and I take a lot of influence from feelings, possessions, history and knowledge. Being self taught, I have always felt this kept my work and it's emotion at its rawest and purest form. My aim is always to create texture and detail wherever I might go on paper.
Right now my heart is really open to 60s and 70s retro patterns. I think if I really analyzed that it would be in part due to my underlying love for vintage repeating patterns, the growing retro-loving and collecting community, the popularity of vintage in entertainment as of late, i.e. Mad Men, and of course my interest in modernizing for the masses.
As someone who grew up getting weird looks because I preferred everything I owned to be old and antique, I always had this task ahead of me to take what I loved and make people get it. In their own minds, I wanted them to feel how I felt about vintage and about their historical and sentimental relevance. I realized through my art that mixed media pieces would get me to that place a lot faster than anything else could.
My art is not about a subject. You usually never see real, tangible things in them. It's more about feelings or moods that will bring you to where I'm hoping to take you. Through the use of mixed media I can open myself up to surrealist views and truly create whatever I envision. Even things that don't quite make sense or have a true explanation. For me, it's not just about the pattern anymore. It's about the whole story I can create by first developing a pattern and branching off of it.
For example, sometimes I plug into a pattern I love, and then I will imagine it in the past. On someone's wall, perhaps - the background of someone's actual life. Who is this person? What do they do for a living? How do they dress? It's not always about a person, place or thing. Other times I already know where I need to go with something, and I let the colours and shapes lead the way. All these imaginary answers are crucial for me to develop and piece together my artworks. It seems so weird I know, but I feel it's incredible that technically, as an adult, I still get to play.
I know art talk can be so abstract, serious and formal. I think maybe in part because the artist feels so deeply about it. I know that's my thing. Let's face it, if I didn't feel deeply about my work, I probably wouldn't be making it. It's my self expression and a way to pour out all of my thoughts. I love it wholly and I let it envelope my life.
It's always so different looking at a piece of art in person and then talking to or reading about an artist in their life. I think that's why I am so interested in keeping that dialogue free and transparent. You can come to your own conclusion and also see my point of view, if you're interested.
These photos you've been seeing here are a few of the newer things I've been working on lately. You'll notice none of them are ever quite the same as the other, but I treasure them equally, and attempt to tell their stories all in a similar, cohesive way. I hope you enjoy them!
This summer you're going to see a lot of new pieces finally entering my Etsy shop. I've been saying that for quite a long time now, but I finally have the energy to get them out there. I have planned out a very extensive overhaul of the look of CharmingShop. I really hope I can create a better world for my art. It's so hard to have an online template and have your views and abilities translate through that. I haven't figured out how to make that work quite yet, but it's getting there.
Thanks everyone! See you again soon.
Marissa xo
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