A Plethora of Experiences...

Since the time of cavemen, art has been used to tell a story.  Stories of triumph, and stories of failure.  Times of joy, and times of sorrow.  I find that art can move you, inspire you, and sometimes, heal you when you take the time to ask yourself what does the piece mean to you, and not what did it mean to the artist.  We all interpret things in different ways, and I think art is no different, in fact, it may be the prime example.  Whether you're looking at abstract art, realism, or something in the middle, art speaks volumes about the experiences of the artist, the mood of the artist, and the message of the artist.  It's once we've discovered the message of the artist that we can then take from the piece what was meant to be taken and let it affect us in our own, unique way, and in turn, let it mean something sometimes completely different to us than to the person next to us.

A lot of people ask where do I get my inspiration from when I am creating a new piece, and to be honest - it's kind of a random thing...

My last piece, "Who Dat Sista?!" (2010) was derived from a recent Saints' game.

There was this girl dressed in a nun costume sitting near us, and the idea instantly came to me, but I still had to decide on the pose and age of the character.  I went with a younger person because I wanted people to think of her not as a "real" nun, but as someone who you might see dressed in the seats of the Superdome on Sundays.  I replaced the standard rosary with a Saints Mardi Gras bead, and put her hands together in prayer like so many of us did last year in the NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl.  And the wink... well, the wink is to let you know that we (the fans of the New Orleans Saints) believe...

But not everything comes from actual experiences, sometimes things come to the canvas from "what if" scenarios.

"Retribution" (2010) features a Little Red Riding Hood-like character with a sword unsheathed,  as though she is preparing for battle, and if you look closer, there is a line drawn in the dirt as wolves peer from the darkness of the woods.

We've all had one or two of these moments in our lives, when we say, "enough is enough" and we draw the proverbial line in the sand and take a stand for what we believe in, or for what we want.  The title hints that there is some sort of revenge taking place, perhaps our character is avenging the death of her grandmother at the hands of the big bad wolf.  I think we all get a sense of "retribution" when we accomplish what we set out to do, like we're getting even with the world, taking back what is ours and moving forward in our lives.

So the next time the weather's pretty outside, drive down to New Orleans and visit the galleries on Royal Street.  You will see all sorts of styles, in different medium, but each will tell their story, and each will affect you in a different way.  Maybe some will strike a nerve, maybe some will have little to know meaning to you.  But regardless of what is taken or not taken from your experience, it will forever change you.

My goal is to one day have my pieces hanging in my very own Gallery, maybe on Royal Street, rubbing shoulders with the works of George Rodgrigue or Todd White, sharing my experiences with the viewer, and hopefully selling a few pieces at the same time.

Until next time - Merci.

- Ryan