Love for the imagination

Passion for art came to me from my family, who loved to share classic movies and introduced me to the “behind the scenes” bonuses of animation films or storyboards for major motion pictures. The work caught my eye. I was drawn into the world of imagination and the power that one artist’s hands and vision could create - and especially how their efforts to create beauty touched the lives of crews and the crowds that loved the movies. I saw the ability to create entire worlds through Alan Lee and John Howe, the exceptional artists behind the design for Lord of The Rings’s worlds and characters. I was encouraged by reading Harold and The Purple Crayon, entranced by the connection between the crayon and the ability to guide Harold to new worlds. The path of an artist called to me, speaking of deeper meaning, beauty, liberty, community, and mastery.

During my years learning art I would dip into the craft of everyday people sharing their work on the internet. I would use Youtube to watch street artists in Italy and learn their technique for shading. I loved to watch animators make pieces come to life in their digital programs, learning about layers of lighting and textures. Poetry and spoken word became my audio for when I was in the studio, creating- I loved to be immersed in the emotions and learn wisdom from the artist’s life experience. I used art as a life education, dipping into architecture, sculpture, watercolor, pen and ink, and spray paint to try to glean different techniques and tips to use as elements in future projects. This has informed my work and has encouraged me to be a part of the worldwide community of artists that use their minds and hands to change hearts.

I now try to immerse myself in art of some sort every week. I love listening to lectures and talks on creativity and its impact on the individual and the world at large. My car is loaded with watercolors, pens, sketchbooks and a camping chair so when I have spontaneous time off work, I can head to the mountains or the city to sit down and work. My favorite spots include mountains, valleys, and rivers. I do a lot of plein air painting so I can use the time to rest and restore myself in nature, which is why I was so drawn to TAOGOI’s work. I have first-hand experienced the impact of the natural world to heal and awakening the wild within.

I capture my thoughts and observations on creativity, nature, spirituality and share them on my website www.abbyfolsomart.wordpress.com. My hope is to inspire people to tap into their imagination, to explore the landscape of the human experience, to help people understand each other’s spirits and hearts and to help people find guidance through confusion and disorientation when the world around us holds so much toxicity. Art has been a bright, warm and cleansing light for me and I am so excited to share it with you all.

-Abigail Folsom