Kym o'shea
I was born 1976 in Flint Michigan possibly the most depressing place I had ever remembered living. I am the youngest of 4 and possibly the strangest child apparently. Having at age 5 drew on my British baby sitters antique chest of drawers in crayon. It was destroyed with my pretty rainbows and stars if I recall correctly. Growing up I was always making things weather I was nailing sticks together or designing in wet cement or even drawing the statue of liberty or sailboats. I always painted or tried to paint what I knew or surrounded myself with. And often allowing my imagination and since of humor to creep in. I heard once writers had to write what they knew. I paint what I feel, how I feel, and what I know. A lot of my work is experimental and each a growing experiment such as my poetry and short stories all reflections of who and what I am.
I was raised in Texas and diagnosed with dyslexia and a mound of other things they love to label people as. It was a struggle to read or even write so I expressed myself in pictures or temper. Always a curious child, I would come to accept feeling left out or secluded among others growing up. I was dragged to Virginia in 4th grade and having to accept my parents wouldn’t let me run off to NYC or any place to escape the abuse of my peers I chose to fantasize running away to other places and times having my own adventures knowing there’s more to life than what’s before me, like a constant yearning for something bigger than life as I know it. Wanting to have more, making something of myself that others couldn’t be little about me, Or remember my legacy when I’m gone and dead. Once again I slipped back into writing and music and art for escapism.
I had applied to VCU school of Arts and was immediately accepted though I had a backup plan.. ART school or find an apprenticeship to become a mortician. I attended VCU on a full scholarship for the first part of 4 years but having had many deaths in the family and heartache which took its toll on me I had to take a hiatus and continue my education on and off for quite a few years. I enjoyed the energy form other students and hadn’t wanted to leave that miss structure for way to long. During my time at VCU I had trained in Film and Photography as well as Sculpture and Painting.
After leaving school on n off I had gotten into painting Alice in Wonderland for a long while and won some awards it was more therapeutic than anything else. I started other series and each was biased around how I felt. Some paintings have the faces of old crushes or lost lovers. Again I paint how I feel some lines are contrived others are spontaneous … Im a pop culture junkie and the more recent images and paintings I have been working on are biased on Dr. Who. I never been big on t.v. but I like certain shows. I have been fascinated with time travel since I was a kid.
Why did you join 30dac?
I joined 30dac because I was missing art for art's sake. You feel like you're missing a piece of yourself when not "creating." I needed a little motivation to get back into some aspects of art that I haven't practiced for decades, and it's been great!! It's been a very positive experience! The challenge has been simply making time for the art (and myself), but it's been so worth it! It's also been a great inspiration seeing (and reading) what the other artists are doing.
United States