Create! Magazine

‍ ‍ What initially sparked your interest in art? ‍ When we are young, it can be intoxicating to discover that we are able to make our pencil lines look like (or remind us of) real things and real people. This power excited me, and it opened the door to exploring the telling of visual stories, imagining alternative realities on paper, expressing my emotions and desires, and making people smile. I've been building on this ever since. ‍ ‍ What connects your work together, and what keeps you creating?

‍ "I have been making art to stay alive for as long as I can remember. I didn’t realize the power in making art until my 30s, where I found I could use my artistic voice to help others feel warmth or to lift them up. I spent a lot of my younger years being so angry at the world because of traumas in childhood. Realizing I could channel my emotions in a healthy way through making art has been a huge shift for my mental health, and each painting I create is always dedicated to the dreamers.

‍ ‍ ‍ What inspired you to focus on figurative abstractions of women in your mixed media work? ‍ My inspiration comes from a deep admiration for the strength, resilience, and multifaceted nature of women. By abstracting the figure, I explore and express the complexity of feminine identity, breaking away from traditional representations to offer a more nuanced, layered portrayal. ‍ ‍ How do you use materials like flash glazes and textured mediums to convey the strength and elegance of women?

Alycia Earhart is a multi-disciplinary artist based in Lawrence, KS, USA. Her work embraces the wonky, the whimsical, and the wonderful imperfections that come to life during the creation process. Alycia’s approach to painting is refreshingly straightforward: she paints what makes her happy. This joyful spontaneity is evident in every piece, as she captures the essence of playful creativity. ‍ Artist Statement: “These paintings celebrate the deliciousness of idleness.

Yameng Lee Thorp (b. 1982) is an Oakland, California based artist. Her first love is watercolor on paper. As a child, she was fascinated by her Grandmother’s delicate paintings - with one quick brushstroke, she would make the shapes of a sparrow or a chrysanthemum petal.

Share this article Statement I began painting stories in portraits as a way to process my emotions as I spent years in internal search for reasons to live. I had a few breaking points that changed my understanding of reality. Using a myriad of influences – emotions, thoughts, art history, mythical experiences and travel – I create symbolic, figurative art that explores the secrets and power of the Universe and our relationship to it.

Share this article Bio Toby Davis is an accomplished oil painter who has dedicated nearly three decades to the mastery of his craft. For the past ten years, he has mostly concentrated on cityscapes and landscapes. However, in the wake of the pandemic, Toby embarked on a new artistic journey that has expanded the horizons of his creative expression while remaining true to his unwavering goal of creating exquisite and engaging art.

Bio Shelli Langdale is an oil painter living and painting in Chattanooga, TN. U.S.A. She has a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. An autodidact, she has pivoted careers throughout her life, from a wide-area network engineer for NASA to front-end web development and design.

Bio Born in Karachi, Pakistan to a Pakistani father and a Chilean mother, my practice and research interests are centred on the notions of home and belonging, tied to the broader theme of otherness due to my interfaith and unique mixed-race background. After a long break, in which I pursued other professional interests, I returned to fine art in 2016.

In this special episode of Art & Cocktails, I’m thrilled to welcome the incredible artist, writer, and mystic, Rebecca Campbell, for a conversation that is as inspiring as it is profound. Together, we explore the powerful intersection of creativity and spirituality, offering you deep insights and soulful guidance to help you reconnect with the true essence of your creative practice.