Friendship (2007) Photography by Gina Acord

I was exposed to art at a very young age. Mom passed on her love of art to me through books and sharing sketches she had drawn. She also made sure I had art supplies to experiment with. I remember spending hours bent over her big book of Maxfield Parrish paintings studying the way he depicted light.

I studied four years of art in high school despite having a teacher that was not very supportive. I went on to study at the Columbus College of Art and Design for one semester. After that I turned away from art and enrolled in a regular university. My creative outlet became writing. Nearly fifteen years went by before I began to paint and draw again. My first painting was a tree in a surreal landscape that I finished in one afternoon. The last six years I have worked in mixed media, acrylic, and digital photography. I have also refined my figure drawing skills.

While I have yet to pursue a gallery show of my work, it continues to find its way into the world. One painting sat unfinished for a couple years. The night before I was to exhibit at a Christmas art show I suddenly knew what I needed to do to finish it. This painting was sold at the show the next day. This is the moment an artist yearns for, when a patron connects with a painting and gives it a home.

I am not an artist drawn to one particular style. I am influenced by what stirs emotion in me. I like the natural and the mystical. Influences run from the great masters to Ansel Adams and Salvador Dali. I am as likely to fall for work by an unknown. I think the most important thing is exposure to a wide variety of work and ideas.

• Nationality: UNITED STATES
• Date of birth : unknown date
• Artistic domains:
• Groups: Contemporary American Artists