Artist Statement
I do art because it makes me happy: I love to create things, and I love to share them with others. From a young age, I was presented with many mediums and venues of creating art. Although my strong suits are oil and watercolor painting and pencil realism, over the years, I have also taken classes in pottery and sculpture, beading, collage, figure drawing, monoprinting, jewelry making, sewing, and in recent years, have taught myself how to sew and do leatherworking.
Being an artist has become a way of life. It is how I interact with and express myself to the world around me. It has always been a major focus and guiding agent for me. I do art for the process: it allows me to slow down, drop in, and be present. I often come away with a clearer understanding of myself. What I love about the finished piece, is sharing it. I am fascinated by other people’s observations and the metaphors they weave into the pieces I have created, connecting them to their own lives.
Recently, I have started taking more commissions, mostly portraits. Similar to massage, the circumstances of being commissioned to do a piece for someone allow to me to see the more beautiful and vulnerable aspects of someone’s life and personality that would not normally be shared as openly. In order to fully capture the feeling and image my client is looking for, I need to ask more intimate questions and see reference images of the pet, family member, partner, friend… It is a gift to be trusted by someone in such a way that they share the more cherished pieces of their life with me. In return, I love being able to produce something that brings happiness into the life of someone I have learned to care for. Art brings meaning and connection into my life.
You can follow me on facebook and on instagram at Raven Borgilt Art
