Like many creative people, I have a wide range of interests and projects. I identify with many labels and associations: artist, writer, maker, poet, dissident, performer, teacher, advocate, parent.
We move between paid and unpaid work, between personal and social, between what we are driven to do and what we are obligated to do. We find ways to carve out time for what we love. We defend this, even when we feel like our credentials are mixed or it isn’t paying the bills. We do things anyway, because we want to.
Art is like that. I have been creating things and making things as long as I can remember. Like many people, time and responsibilities and the “right decisions” have gotten in my way but I forgave myself for these limitations. Did I get a degree in every subject that I am passionate about? No. I made the right choices with my time, when I had choices. Sometimes I nurtured instead of growing, and sometimes I gave time and presence instead of building a “self” that people can measure. I learned things from this, and about my relationship to creativity and community that I would not have understood otherwise.
I am an exploring artist, experimenting, collecting materials, using what I find to mix traditional approaches and materials with unconventional sources. Because I have always been interested in repurposing, it is a great time to be creating because people have come around to these ideas and “upcycling” and “eco-art” is more popular than ever, as we are increasingly aware of our impact on the planet. This led me to many projects over the years based on environmental themes, and I was able to explore them further as a partnering visual and literary artist with Perspectives: Art on Environment, at the Nurture Nature Center since 2015. I am also a “maker” and produce jewelry, wearable art, and assorted handmade items as part of a collective of artists, but more on that in other sections.
I will be adding photos of my art to the Gallery on my website, at www.elynnalexander.com, which will have a more comprehensive catalog with descriptions.
