I am a fine artist, I paint and I draw. But that’s about all I have in the artistic department. I am missing the creative, quirky, liberal part of me that the average artist has. Instead of my drawing and painting skills developing at the same time as my creative skills, my fine art skills have came into my life solo. I’m pretty sure that because I am not creative, my art has been reflective of this. I cannot leave anything to my head. Before making an art piece, I must have a pretty good idea of what I am going to be painting. And since abstract things cannot be seen with the eyes, only with the imagination, I have steered clear of abstract art.
I am not creative, so I have to rely on my surroundings and memory to bring my art to life. I pay attention to the tiniest of details, and probably spend too much time on them. Being focused on my surroundings have given me big eyes, I am able to take a lot in with just a glance. And I have a tendency to focus on making small things more emphasized than they truly are because that is how I remember it. I use mediums such as acrylic and colored pencils to achieve these details that desperately desire, and I stay away from the mediums that do the opposite like chalk and pastels. Through my art I have become focused on the beauty of the world, and loud, vibrant colors. I become inspired through natures art.
Another part of me has influenced my art is the fact that I am an orthodox Jew. Being raised in a religious home in a very religious town has really shaped me as an artist. The kind of art that I am attracted to is art that reflects the beauty of a person, or of nature, realistic art. Judaism is an aniconic religion; this has developed my eyes to appreciate art of flowers and natural designs, while not making up anything that cannot be seen. So the main way my art has progressed has been simply through what I have seen around me. The detail I have found through environment has made me look at the world through tunnel vision, focusing on what’s I can see in front of me, and blocking out what’s not. I become inspired by surroundings when I see my environment, I realize how small I am, and how much more I am ready to learn and grow.