"Cubist Cactus"; screenprint; 2015
I grew up as the only daughter of two lawyers. My parents filled our home with art from all over the world, yet creativity was a trait my brothers and I were discouraged from expressing. My brothers became lawyers, and I became a computer programmer.
I found ways to express myself creatively. I realized I could write. Words were important; they allowed me to express myself when I had no other way. I couldn't draw, though. I knew that.
In my late 50s, I took a drawing class just for fun. I surprised myself by not only by liking the class but wanting more. I discovered I could indeed draw. I'm an artist!
I still have my words. I've added line, shape, color, and texture to my creative repertoire. My interests lie in color pencils, watercolors, and printmaking, especially monoprints.
Some people with hearing loss insist that our hearing losses do not define us. Yet, for me with a lifelong hearing loss, my hearing loss does define me. I avoid places that have a lot of noise. I look for the best places to sit and stand so I can hear. I tell others how they can help me to hear and understand them better. But in just as many ways, my hearing loss does not define me, though it influences who I am.
My art reflects my life and interests. Some of it relates to a life with hearing loss, and some of it doesn't. (I think.)
My hope is that when you see my art, you see me and the world a little differently.