Exploring Art and Artist :: Mandy Russell
by Ellen Schimmel Pearson
A theme that I like
to visit in these blogs is that of connections...how art connects us, to
whom, or what, and how. As I began to learn about our artist this
month, who hails from Maine, I am reminded of an experience I had in
Maine. My (then) husband and I had driven to Maine to attend a wooden
canoe convention. We arrived at the campground and set up our tent, and
being late at night, we went right to our sleeping bags. Laying there,
in the misty night, I listened to such a contrast of sounds. To one
side of me, the rumbling of traffic from the very close highway, and to the
other side of me, a loon calling from the nearby lake. I thought,
"What a disconnect." I thought of it as the crazy fast
paced world interrupting the sanctity of nature. I have to say, after
starting this blog and learning about our artists and how they connect us to
our world, I now look at that experience with a different set of eyes.
For artists exist to infuse into the web of our lives the threads of
that which we cannot create for ourselves but that we need to keep us sane, grounded,
peaceful. Maybe it wasn't so much that crazy highway interrupting
nature, rather the loon existing to infuse peace into my crazy world.
Maybe instead of a disconnect, it was a connect.
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And
so, I am brought back to Maine, to the town of Brunswick, to a woman who, in
the midst of the world that seems to be crashing down all around us,
environmental tragedies and acts of violence, keeps her focus on her art -
that which connects us on another level than what seems to be beating us
down, and reaches out to us in peace, in love, in creativity, in whimsy and
fun, in nurturing that side of us that yearns to be the threads that tie us
together rather than tear us apart. This month I am happy to bring to
you Mandy Russell, a very talented
artist and teacher who is passionate about her art and how art influences her
world.
So, I welcome Mandy, and invite you along with me as together we learn about her world and her art -
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Mandy, it's always
good to start at the beginning of an artist's journey. Can you tell us
when you had your very first experiences in art, and when you developed your
love for your art?
I have a very early memory that stems from kindergarten or
first grade. The whole class took a field trip to a classmate's house
where we made a snowman on an aluminum-covered baking sheet. I remember
that the snowman's round sections, while depicted flat on the sheet, were
somewhat sculpted, or raised, using a thick frosting-like material. I
took ownership of creating that snowman from the get-go. I loved every
minute of making it and was ever so proud of its perfection when complete. I
even have a picture floating around here somewhere of my class standing
around that snowman. I was the closest to it and had the biggest grin
on my face.
Ever since I can remember, I have
always loved making things with my hands. It gives me great joy in
seeing my creative ideas come to life. The unveiling, if you will, or
the achieving of the end product is the motivating goal, but the process is
simply intoxicating.
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When did your love
for your art turn to the focus of teaching? You mention in your bio
that teaching is a very important part of your art, and in particular, teaching
children. What is your greatest challenge and your greatest joy in guiding
children in the expression of art?
I'll be honest here, teaching art
and craft techniques evolved from a need to make money! What better way
to earn an income than to share your passion with others, and lead them to
finding their own creative bliss? Teaching began for me, about 7 or 8
years ago. I began instructing various art/craft projects at my local adult
ed center. Book making, quilting, jewelry making, watercolor sketchbooks,
felted creatures.... It turned out, lucky for me, that I do love
teaching! Inspiration is truly contagious. Teaching art or craft
is as much take as it is give. I'm inspired, the student is inspired,
it's a win-win situation. I do love instilling confidence in people who doubt
their abilities. I am an encouragement machine and I like being that
for people.
With children, I've learned
quickly that I am not good at crowd control. Large groups of little
ones get me flustered and are hard to keep engaged. But I simply love
how children allow themselves to play with art supplies. They delve in,
totally confident! They also forgive their mistakes readily and move on
quickly. I love how children know what they want to make, and it's not
often what I want them to make. They have their own aesthetic value,
and it doesn't always follow a Pinterest-perfect path. I love letting
them have free range to make what they want, not what I want!
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As I look at your
gallery of art, you engage in many different mediums and projects. What
is your favorite medium to work with?
My favorite medium is always
changing. I simply can't nail it down no matter how hard I try!
Right now, today, I'd say I love messy, painty, textural, collage-full, art
journaling. Even more if it's in a handmade book full of high-end watercolor
paper! Oh how important "good" paper is!!!!
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I notice that a lot
of your art has a bit of a whimsical thread in it, either with bright color
accents or the use of buttons or beads or flowers or the use of phrases
through your artwork. What inspires you as you create your art and does
this whimsical touch have a message or meaning you are sending out?
My whimsical, playful, bright and
sometimes messy style, with silly phrases here and there, does in fact have
meaning! When I create like that, I'm basically saying "don't take
yourself too seriously." No one's better than anyone else, no
one's getting out of here alive, etc. etc. It's somewhat of a cosmic
perspective, if you will. The Earth is but a minute speck in the vast
universe. We are but stardust, and to dust we all return. So lighten
up!
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You are very excited
to be sponsoring an upcoming workshop with Kathyrn Costa on drawing
Mandalas. As you say in your class description, Mandala is a
Sanskrit word that means “circle” or “center.” In making the design of your
life with mandala circles, with you at the center of your design, how are the
other circles interacting (connecting) with you? Are you in a role of
reaching out and touching others with your art and your teaching of
art? Or are you a sponge that is soaking up the creativity of
others? In thinking about the mandala circle of your life, what is your
purpose?
What a great question!!! I'd
say my mandala-circle-of-life is an ever-changing, fluid give and take
existence. I glean great inspiration, or soak up creativity from
others, like a sponge for sure. I often have to "reel" myself
in and ask myself, "do you really have time in your life for yet another
new creative endeavor?" I just love the contemporary art
journalers out there, especially Teesha Moore. I fall in love with all
the North Light books as well as Cloth Paper Scissors magazine. And of
course, I drool over all the Stampington publications. The. Entire. Line.
I also pass on, or share my
inspiration freely. Like a give-back-to-the-community effort! I share
my process and materials readily and am not very proprietary about my art or
art techniques. I have yet to ever use a watermark... Ever! There
will always be more supplies and more ideas. Tomorrow I'll be into
something totally different anyway! Plus, I love to help build
someone's confidence when it comes to creating. To see someone get
giddy over their creation because of my teaching, is a great feeling.
It's like a ripple effect really. I start the seed growing, they take
it over and expand their creativity, and in doing so, pass it on to
others. So that we all become a bunch of connected mandalas!!!
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You have spent a lot
of time teaching others. If art is your teacher, what do you learn from
your art?
Art has taught me a lot about
micro-goals and mistakes. To set a small creative goal and achieve that
goal is confidence-building for sure. It feels great to take a vision or a
design and see it through to completion. However, mistakes happen
readily that impede, or halt, the process. I've learned that mistakes
can be easily covered with gesso. I've learned that mistakes aren't
always mistakes. I've also learned that mistakes can be recycled, thrown
out, or donated to Goodwill. And yes, making mistakes is a fabulous
teacher in itself! I think most importantly art has taught me that the
micro-goal often shifts or morphs into something different than the original
plan anyway!
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Where would you like your art to
take you in the future?
The beauty of this great journey
is that I truly have no idea where it's taking me. If I had to make a
wild wish of sorts, I'd love to eventually teach mixed-media sketchbooks in
Giverny, or something like that! But ask me tomorrow and it may have changed!
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Connections.
In the unstable world we are living in especially recently, I think Americans
find themselves searching for a thread to grab onto that will help us
find peace, love, joy, a short reprise from our heavy hearts. When we
look at the beautiful gifts that come from our artists, we grow to appreciate
the sharing of these wonderful talents and the lessons they teach us. I
thank Mandy for sharing a small part of her world with us this November, the
month for giving thanks. As a woman who is not creatively talented, I
give thanks to the many artists in America and beyond, who make me smile, who
lift my soul, who bring me peace with their works. They connect me to
that simpler path, even when I fear I have veered off so far that I may never
get back. They say, "follow me, be nourished, feel loved, take
your mind to a simpler place if only but a moment, and know where to come to
experience it again." I hope that we continue to be inspired by
these creative artists month after month, and find our connections to that
simpler path that we desire.
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A
note from Shelley –
I
am happy to announce that Mandy has joined the OOAK Artisan Showcase Design
Team, watch this blog for her first project share next Tuesday, Nov. 14th!
Until
then, keep creating!
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