BLACK ART DESIGNER FASHION: Fine Arts by Shurvon~Shaynlicia!

What is your vision as an Artist?

My vision as an artists is to express myself creatively, experience the therapeutic art making process and promote creative innovation through fine arts education.

What is your definition of a visual artist?

My personal definition of an artists is someone who has the ability to create artistic objects, literature and performances that represent their life and individual worldview

Each artist has a different way of implementing their expressive ideas by using a variety of materials and methods as they are inspired to create.

What is your greatest challenge as an artists?

The main obstacle that I noticed as an artist, has been to maintain my own style variations in the midst of negative advice to produce art that was "popular" instead of my own authentic individual expressions.

This type of advice is a very annoying attempt to undermine my talents and ideas. Tactics that usually come from those who are not artist themselves, because being an artists in any category is not a popularity contest it is a journey of the genius, not a replication of what's trendy!

Whenever a piece of completed artwork doesn't sale, it should never be discarded because it will still increase in value.

What has been your greatest influence from other artists?

Once I decided to start making art on a consistent basis for public viewing I found myself being able to learn something new from several different artists from hip-hop rappers, writers, fashion designers and even Picasso. The most important rules to follow are ignore the critics, produce with purpose and expand your options.

What has your been your experience with Fine Art academic training and education?

The creative skill of making artwork started very early in life before I really understood what fine arts was. I noticed people sewing, drawing, building and constructing items for sale or display

Elementary school projects were another big influence in regards to the variety of materials that were used for class projects. I also took some community college art courses before I finished my bachelors degree a few years later.

There were times when I was not able to relate to the art education I received especially in some of the art history courses it was during these times when I realized that I needed to have a wider view of the world, so I could make art that reflected life beyond fruit bowls and flowers.

The art courses that I studied at the U.W. were focused on conceptual art ideas and topics. Students were assigned off-campus projects to complete according to specific subject matters such as body image, social change and the labor industry.

This was a great opportunity for me to discover different art forms and methods. But I have had very few classes in what would be considered a traditionally formal fine arts education.

Now that I've started to paint more often it is one of my goals to learn more about certain paint mediums and art terms that will directly enhance my style of artwork.

What is your artwork style?

The art images I create are typically very colorful, bold and curvacious. I have always been a very sparkly, girly and glittery type of woman and that is usually reflected in some of my paintings. I also have scoliosis which is a curvature of the spine so I often try to discover different types of canvas options and materials that are not too heavy for me to carry on my own.

Otherwise I just paint images of whatever I want according to the paint supplies I have in my inventory. It is during this process that ideas and themes present themselves to me.I will NEVER have just one type of style or subject to paint about.

I also love, love, love to paint with the color black because it looks so glorious and glamorous on its own. This is actually a true fact and not just a statement coming from a African-American artists to promote the beautiful astethics of what is commonly known as Black Fine Arts because my artwork is global with the ability to represent the whole universe.

How has the first six months of the Fine Arts Theory Designer Series been for you as an artists?

This is my first annual designer series and it is a reflection of my personal journey as an artists. Each painting may have a indirect connection to the obstacles, revelations,testimonies and rewards I've gained prior to this series.

This series was something that I internally knew would take place at some point within my lifetime although I had no clue when, where, how and what I would paint or draw. It is almost like a surreal dream and there are times when I can't fully process the complexity of my own artwork.

Because I rarely pre-plan what the final outcome will be, but it is always something unconsciously connected to something real or tangible. This is another reason why I've been writing in reflective detail about my artist journey.

The organization of this series is of my own creative process, nobody mandated, sponsored or assigned me to do this task. As an visual artists I believe it also very important for me to establish my own emerging artist autobiography in the beginning of my art journey instead of waiting for my paintings to be discovered after I pass away. Or spending many years painting about other subjects without having my own thoughts and ideas on a canvas.

Every artist in all of the fine arts categories has the entitled privilege to write, perform and create the first few chapters of their individual art legacy while they are still physically and mentally capable of documenting their creative art accomplishments regardless of its mainstream success or monetary gains.

This is not a negative form of self-pride or promotion it is actually the first step in laying the proper foundation of the career and aspirational goals of all fine artist. An artists story should not be entirely given to an outside source to interpret based upon their limited research methods.

As an individual and independent visual artist I don't have any specific regulations about what images I paint.

I'm often surprised by those who act as if I have to draw and paint images according to some unwritten guidelines. Especially those who have tried to alter my real intellectual ideas to fit into their false and biased profiling guidelines for black female artists. I do understand that there are different categories of art but I chose not to adhere to any of them entirely because there aren't any strict rules that can dictate what images, style, technique, race, religion, color or creed should be represented in any of my paintings. So for reason of clarity to my artist fans and collectors. I am not emotionally bitter but I do believe in utilizing all of my five senses and emotions when necessary. I don't rely on forced validation or a false sense of acceptance from others to complete my creative goals.

My fine arts mission statement was already predestined to be a legacy of optimistic and inspirational fine arts for everyone. I refuse to participate in dumb competitive mind games with another artists. Because I'm not intimidated by any other visual artists and those who have tried to evoke negative power plays are not worth my time.

It is also extremely unintelligent to define the work of an artist according to the assumptive stereotypical view point of those who only know how to communicate through racist, sexist and rude innuendos. Because my artwork will usually include a wide variety of subject matters. That I've either experienced, read or seen in the media. If a art historian or critic notices certain art forms within my completed paintings so be it, but it may not always be a comprehensive interpretation of my intentions.

That's is why it so important for visual artist to define their own artwork and make what is best for each art peace without worrying about whether it fits into a certain art category. Some may consider that a form of abstract expressionism which maybe true in most cases and that's fine, but it's not exclusive. Mixed media and collage assemblages are my favorite art mediums at this time but I do plan to include other art mediums for my next Fine Arts Designer Series.

Thanks for reading The Journey of the Artist by Shurvon~Shaynlicia, Art Director of the Fine Arts Theory Designer Series: Season Two...Spring Florality!

(Spring Florality Poetry Art Scrolls) - April

(Fruit Bowls and Flowers)- May