" I have been absolutely terrified every moment of my life - and I've never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do. " - Georgia O'Keeffe
I showed a mixed media, life size, self portrait piece entitled "Inner Awesome Tribe" at the MUSE Art Show during the 2016 MUSE Conference in Bend Oregon, March 4-6 at the Jenny Green Gallery in downtown Bend. The juried show featured the work of 24 female artists from across the Pacific Northwest.
This was a very personal and powerful piece for me to create. I opened myself up to vulnerability and truth telling with this piece and explored my own "Inner Awesome Tribe" of female MUSES who have made me the artist that I am today.
"inner Awesome Tribe" in progress in my art studio in Bend, by MaryLea Harris 2016.
MUSES | Georgia O’Keeffe b. 1887, Frida Kahlo b. 1907, Louise Nevelson b. 1899,
Clarice Tomlinson b. 1913, Cleo Martin b. 1922, Jill Martin b. 1950
Lisa Soong b. 1965, Alena Henessy b. 1977,
Emma Harris b. 2003, Claire Harris b. 2007
How Does Your Muse Inspire You? |
My tribe consists of powerful feminist women artists who have helped cultivate my creative life and who have encouraged my daring adventures in painting and motherhood. Each member has influenced my work in different ways and can be seen in everything I create. Georgia O’Keeffe, Frida Kahlo, and Louise Nevelson became my role models during art history classes at my all-women college. They inspired me to stand up for myself as a woman artist. My Grandma Clarice painted flowers, sewed, traveled fearlessly, and danced her way into her late 90’s. My Grandma Cleo is a gardener, lover of nature, and a staunch feminist; we got our driver’s licenses on the same day. My mother, Jill, paints flowers and nature scenes, volunteers selflessly, and taught me unconditional love. Alena Henessy inspired me to combine my mixed media and painting styles with layers of personal symbols in brave intuitive paintings. Lisa Soong, was my best mommy friend; she had a wicked sense of humor and was one of the kindest women I have ever met. She broke my heart when she died of cancer in 2012 at the age of 47. She taught me my mantra, “We Can Do Hard Things.” My own daughters, Emma and Claire make their own art. Every day they demonstrate limitless creativity and imagination; they inspire me to make art that is vulnerable and honest.