Leah Southerland - Artist: August 2016

Sunday, 14 August 2016

Some of my Latest Work

Working on some slightly dimensional pieces lately. Still heavily nature-inspired, with leaves and flowers. But also some nautical inspiration creeping in, as well as mapping.

About Me

After getting a BFA in Studio Art, I was armed well with the skills and philosophy of an artist. But something kept me from embracing the title and using those skills for anything more than a hobby. So I worked in a gallery/shop in Chicago for a couple of years and then returned to school for my MS in Art Education. The claim of the title "Teacher" definitely came more naturally to me than that of "Artist" and I taught high school Art for two years - until my first son was born. I stayed home with him, volunteered teaching at schools, substitute taught, and did very little Art making of my own. In fact, it was only after having another baby, teaching more here and there, traveling a bit, writing a bit, and experiencing some serious emotional crisis, that Art came back to me. I was armed with a care-free confidence that life changing events instill, and at the same time, given an opportunity to show and sell my own art work at Union Studio. So now, today, I feel a 'wholeness' to my life that I never have before. My home-making, homeschooling, mothering, teaching, working, and Art-making all influence and affect each other. Nothing is separate. No part of me is free from the other parts. There is no balance; just a calm rotation of roles and relationships. They all feed from and thrive with each other. I am an Artist now because I realize it is simply who I am, not a persona I need to develop or adopt. Just as I am a mother, a woman, and a wife, I am an Artist.