ANN M BECK   
Mixed Media Earrings

INFLUENCES

 

ALL OVER THE WEST

There is no doubt that my love for the mountains and deserts of the American West have influenced my art. After all we are products of our environment!

~ Born in Wyoming

~ Raised in Colorado in a small mountain town.

~ New Mexico, where I married my husband and    where all three of my children were born.

~ Montana where we purchased land and hope to build a home on one day. 

 

TRAVEL

As my art has evolved I have noticed that certain aspects of the places I have traveled to are working their way into my pieces, sometimes inadvertently and sometimes on purpose.  For example, I lived in New Zealand for a time and the spiral is a very strong symbol to the Maori (the indigenous people of New Zealand) representing new beginnings as in the fern frond, eternity and the powerful ocean wave. I have become quite accustomed to using spirals as I love what they represent and how they look to me aesthetically. The colors of the South West United States  are also appealing to me with their rich browns and terracotta in contrast with the bright turquoise. One might see hints of the Scottish highlands and a Celtic influence or flora and fauna and landscapes from the American Rocky Mountains. For now I live in Ohio and have found beauty in the sunsets over the corn fields and joy in the humid, fire fly filled evenings. There is something magical about every place on earth if you are open to seeing it!

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ART BACKGROUND

I have no formal art degree. I have taken many art classes in high school, college and otherwise. Most of what I do now has come from years of playing with mediums and having supportive people around me, allowing my craft to mature. I was lucky enough to have parents who always encouraged my creativity and then I married a person who understands the kind of patience and perseverance it takes to follow the artists path (poor thing). Now my adult children have become a big part of my supportive network. I have worked hard at developing a scheduled, daily studio time which is one of the biggest challenges for me.  I find that the way to creating something quality and meaningful requires a lot of  practice and a very good understanding of the medium. I have often felt unworthy of calling myself an "artist" because I do not have a degree in art but I have come to believe that being an artist is more about how a person sees the world. There are many different ways to express oneself  as I have known many phenomenally creative people who have never picked up a paint brush but their gift comes out in other ways; in how they arrange their house, put together a Power Point presentation or decorate a cake .  What I know for myself is that I must always be creating something and if I deny myself  this eagerness I am not content . I've learned never to ignore a tickle of an idea because you never know what will happen if you follow it. My creative interests have taken me down many paths and have evolved and improved with the seasons of my life. I have gone from painting landscapes and portraits to fiber art to mixed media design and figurative art. Each has taught me something. 

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                            THANK YOU

 

Thank you so much for taking the time to read about my journey. I believe everyone has creative potential.

Cheers my friends!

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MERAKI

(may-rah-kee) * Greek

(n.) to put something of yourself into your work.

Soul. Creativity. Love.

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