I’m a big fan of R. Crumb the cartoonist, he has done a great job of thumbing his nose at the norm. So has Robert Williams another artist who seems bent on pushing the boundaries and upsetting the apple cart as often as possible. I have great respect for these two individuals and many other artists who push buttons.
As much as I respect their work, I like to create art that at it’s very center one finds peace. I’ve drawn and painted since I was 6 years old...creating a world I could live with. My work is possibly cliche, maybe the work “goes with the couch” too often, but it is my kind of rebellion against what for me was the norm for many years. I rebel against the difficulties that I have experienced. I rebel against greed by creating beauty, against violence by painting trees birds flowers and the occasional greenman and against neglect and abuse by painting the other side of life...the drama and beatitude of nature.
Because of past trauma, life for me can be physically painful and very debilitating. Doing a “normal” job is not possible. This has led to a poverty of sorts. I am more fortunate than some and very blessed in many ways, my poverty is of the genteel sort. I have a roof over my head, a beautiful garden, an amazing view and a wonderful life partner. I find rest for my painful mind and body in the beauty that surrounds me and when I have trouble seeing it, I paint the world the way I want it to be.
It is difficult to make a living when just being around people can cause a panic attack so sharing my work is hard but I can still paint alone and find solace in my work. I have learned to paint small. I paint “mindful” watches. These have no hands so one can “lose all track of time”, the ultimate experience in art. The cost for my supplies needs to be nominal since there is no “extra” money for supplies nor is there “extra” money for a studio so I paint at home. I also use as many recycled and second hand materials as I can. I like to use used and discarded materials particularly when I make jewelry. It makes me feel like a larger part of a great force.
I find it interesting how the lack of money and being a creative person has formed me and influenced my work. I would not be the me I am without these constraints. I don’t see the lack as necessarily “good” but as a challenge that I have learned to work around.
Painting nature is my way of finding joy, of sending that joy back out, hopefully to the world even though few ever see my work. The paintings I do that are not made into jewelry are also relatively small with the largest pieces being 36”x24”. I have learned to work quickly so that I can work in between panic attacks which are physically painful and exhausting. When I know that I have art to return to I recover much more quickly so I always have projects. Sometimes those projects are drawings or illustrations, knitting or beading, particularly if I know I just can’t get away from the depression enough to paint. Just getting my hands busy shifts the gears.
I’ve given you a small glimpse into my world. I wish I could share more of it. I hope you check out my work and find peace in the paintings.
Nancy Leshinsky
"As Above So Below"
10"x10"
