I started to explore various arts in 1999, as a way to overcome personal fears. One of these was a nightmare I had as a child. This dream is a parable of my life: "I'm at the bottom of a well, looking up. I see the Sesame Street puppets with their mouths opening and closing. I have a feeling of no way out. I can't yell for help, because no one understands my speech. This is such a feeling of helplessness!"
I am Deaf. I have difficulty speaking and signing coherently because of an unnamed neurological condition, which I call Cerebral Palsy for now.
Creating is way to express my soul - voice in a way that others can hear and respond to. When I create, it feels like something spiritual guides me. I need to continue my spiritual path, and that is through expressing myself. Art connects me to my Spiritual Self. My art flows from my Spiritual Self.
I am self taught. I work with acrylics, pencil, charcoal, pen, pastels, felt pen, collage, and my cat. I am also a potter, writer, poet, actress, dancer, music composer, and musician. I have also created, written, produced, and directed a video. I sometimes mix these media to create something. Each piece of my art is unique; I paint slowly and meticulously for one, and fast and impatient for another. Each has its own 'personality': One will have vibrant, wild, lush colours, and another will have shy, withdrawn, tame, muted colours. Some are whimsical, and others are serious. My work shows how I feel right at the moment of creation.
I have different inspirations: a memory, a movie, an image, another piece of art, visions, words, myself, an event, and my cat! What will come out, I never know. My preferred subjects include nature, magic, hidden words, and my cat.
I have been involved with an art experience group for the past year. This has enabled me to explore my creativity in a supportive envrironment with other deaf artists. This weekly group has acted as a springboard to encourage me to take professional classes and to show my art publicly.
Over the past two years, my work has been exhibited in several galleriies, icluding: the CityScape Art Space, the Artists Helping Artists in Burnaby, a deaf art show at the Vancouver Community College, and Art Pars, and the Harmony Arts Festival this year with their 'Art Beat'! I am excited with the growing interest in my work and my evolution as an artist.
With my arts and through my images, I can be heard. I believe this is my way to freedom, and spirituality. Most importantly, art is my way out of that well.
I reside in North Vacouver, British Columbia, Canada with my gorgeous cat Rumbles. My art website is www.artistsincanada.com/hppp and my email is: art_by_ajbrown@yahoo.ca.