Marika Perry sees the world with the eyes of a child and the wisdom of a wise man. She consumes colors in all senses and gives her a wider palette to promote a more kind and compassionate world through art. Her work is bright, capricious, emotional, sometimes soft and airy. But it’s always hopeful.
That was the motto. BeKind, which laid the foundation for Monterey’s Youth Arts Collective (YAC), is Perry and his wife, a non-profit organization founded in 2000 to instill creativity, kindness and self-confidence in teens through art. I’m the artist Meg Biddle. Perry has already established himself as an artist through the subtle techniques of the fine art airbrush of oceans and aviaries, plants and animals, and sometimes human images to celebrate “the wild spirit and the wildness of the spirit.” Was there.
Still, for over 20 years, Perry has focused on almost every moment he is awake (and sleeping), primarily on the hundreds of children raised through YAC. Finally, Colorist decided to share her inspiration and achievements through her solo exhibition “Rainbow Dance” at the Sylvain Gallery in Sand City on January 8th.
“Marcia introduces the playful use of color and the interaction of multiple media and multiple methods of expression, all together to create contemporary yet heartfelt artwork. “Masu,” said Logan Norton, gallery director. “Many people know Marcia as the principal of a youth arts collective art student, but may not know the depth and breadth of her own work, so we can show it. I’m very excited about what I can do. “
Perry decided to do the show because he knew that he couldn’t encourage the “YACsters” he worked with to pursue art unless he remained an artist.
“Creating my art and taking the time to continue practicing prevents me from becoming a scammer,” she said. I am an artist only when expressing it. For a long time, I created and saved something and waited for an opportunity like this exhibition. I am very excited to be able to share my work again. “
Color and composition
The title of Perry’s exhibition, “Rainbow Dance,” reflects the color movements of her work. Famous for the saturation and complexity of her paintings and prints, Perry is now complementing her work with detailed ceramic sculptures of porcelain. This is the medium that YAC mentor sculptor Peggy Alanis began exploring 10 years ago while taking a ceramics class at the University of Monterey Peninsula.
“I wanted to introduce the ceramic division to YAC,” Perry said. “So I needed to know how to work with the medium. I also honed my technique through the summer art program at CSU Monterey Bay. I almost broke all the rules introduced by Peggy, for example. It’s the most awkward clay, starting with porcelain. Just like starting a painting career with an airbrush. I thought that if you started with a difficult medium, you would go faster. “
Ten years later, Perry has a body of ceramic sculpture, many of which complement her paintings and prints and deserve an art installation.
“When engraving, I love the feeling of crushing something in reality. It’s different from painting in 2D. Using both hands to shape a lump of clay into something beautiful or meaningful, it’s very And it’s an intuitive job. And I air-brushed the sculpture from the painting to get the same shading and layering effect that I would achieve with the canvas. It’s part of me because I’ve used it a lot. It feels like another accessory that can be used in new ways. “
Perry usually airbrushes a layer of color on the sculpture, fires the piece each time it is glazed, and finally fires it three to four times before the sculpture is complete.
“I’ve been using gold and mother-of-pearl color paintings,” she said. “And what a hell, the effect is really great.”
The results may be capricious or airy, but always a study of color and composition.
“When I started making art, I made a conscious decision to do only positive images, something that made people feel good. I sought beautiful truth from nature and created more spiritual ideas. I think there’s enough harsh messages and images in it. I respect whatever other artists decide to do, but whenever I’m creating art, not war. That’s fine. “
Early childhood inspiration
Perry’s art-centric life has always been color, children, and love, what she loves most. Her trajectory as an artist includes children’s books and illustration literature, such as her new book “Maggie, Millie, Molly, and May,” based on EE Cumming’s poems on the spectrum of emotional experiences of four young girls. Is also included.
“I always care what my child feels when he sees something,” Perry said. “It informs much of my work, especially my books.”
When teaching kindergarten many years ago, Perry taught the sounds of each letter of the alphabet through alliteration and images, creating intricate pictures of animals paired with each letter. Eventually, she collected the paintings that became murals in many nurseries in her book, Here on Earth, published in 2013 and available from the studio.
“As artists, we are forced to create art and visually express our experiences and emotions,” Perry said. “Like I talk to YAC kids, we all need to understand what we do here and what we have to give. Both are important.”
The “Rainbow Dance” exhibition will take place from January 8th to February 2nd, Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4pm at the Sylvain Gallery at 613 Ortiz Avenue in Sand City.
