This artist showcase features the work of ColdMountainGypsy whose folkloric work is inspired by poetry, stories and dreams. If you would like to see a showcase of your work here on kdoutsiderart.com, please email kdoutsiderart@yahoo.com with a few examples of your art.

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When did your interest in art/creating begin?

I have loved art since I was able to grasp a crayon. My bedroom as a child was adorned with sketches of my beloved cat and dog. As a child my gifts to my family were always art. I often sent drawings to my grandparents when asked to write to them. I found art to be my letter, my thoughts, my little messages. Art even as a child gave me escapism, unbinding creativity and utter happiness. Art has always given me a voice, comfort, solace.

What is your starting point for each piece?

The starting points from my art are always different. My muses appear when they wish. Some are inspired through reading, some through nature, and some in dreams.

Who or what influences your work?

My influences are many, so in short: Pappa (GOD) my mother, my father, my husband, my brother, daughter, my fur babies, Cold Mountain, Forests, Poetry, Comics, the stars and the heavens, creatures great and small, angels, folk stories… even my stories or dreams. I write and dream lots.

What do you hope the viewer gets from your work?

What I hope the viewer gets from my work is wonder. There is no greater joy than hearing that someone loves your art. Every person that looks at a piece of art sees it in their own way. I have attached stories to some of the pieces to explain my muse or muses. I do feel that great and epic tales – be it folk or poetical or just sheer fantasy – should be shared.  In my childhood I loved campfire stories and poetry. All of my works have stories, and I really hope they inspire happiness, wonder, a sense of magic, peace, contentment, folly, whimsy, brevity, and courage. My deepest hope is that someone out there decides to dive into art! My wish is that others realize how many of us are out there. Art is not just for those with a long listed pedigree. Art is for every caste. Art is a legacy for everyone to not only observe but partake in.

What do you think about the term outsider art? Is there a term that you think works better?

I like the term Outsider Art because we are just that. If you are self-taught, have no sponsor, you have no displays in a public setting, you are not published in magazines, and if you don’t have art credentials then you very much are outside the renowned art hub. Self-taught artists are often not given chances for their art to even be shown. I know this because so far I have found only one open heart for me in my very artistic community. For me since I also paint always outside ‘en plein air’ the name suits me just fine. I often find I am more comfortable out in nature with my easel than in a crowd. For me, I never really quite fit in. For me, I have always been a bit of a black sheep and find inspiration in under dogs, in the misunderstood, the wanderers, and the dreamers. Simply put: ‘YOU ARE ENOUGH.’

I think everyone out there has art in them waiting to get out. The arts are not just paintings… The arts are so vast and are the last refuge for us all. People often forget the art of music, the art of dance, the art of poetry, the art of theatre, film… The arts are always dubbed in school as the ‘humanities.’ We live in a world with so many freedoms being taken away year by year that I hope all of the arts remain intact.

 

What are you working on at the moment?

I am working currently on Minnehaha, which has been inspired by my love of the epic book by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Song of Hiawatha.

Where do you see your work taking you in the future?

I really cannot predict where it will take me, I only know I will enjoy every minute of it.

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Click here to see more of ColdMountainGyspy’s work