Monday, August 13, 2012

Artist Highlight - Audrey McFadden


Hometown:  Columbia, Missouri

Preferred Mediums: Acrylics

How many years have you participated in the Art on the Bluffs, Inc. Art Walk? This is my first year.

Where did you go to school, earn a degree, or formally study art? I have never formally studied art.  I have a culinary arts degree from California Culinary Academy in San Francisco and also a business degree from the University of Missouri.

What is your art about & what inspires your work? My art is about the beauty found in everyday nature.  I am inspired by the color and joy that bright flowers and trees and sunsets bring me.  I do not have any deep meanings I am trying to showcase in my art; I simply want to bring joy to the observer.

What is your creative process like? I always have a sketchbook with me.  If I see something while I’m driving around or if an idea pops in my head, I will just pull out my sketchbook and pen it out and go back to it when I’m in the studio.  When I am in my studio, I pull out the sketch book and just start painting on a blank canvas.

How or when in your life did you know you wanted to be an artist? I have only been painting for about four years.  When my youngest son was born, we moved to a larger house and I needed art for the many barren walls.  I couldn’t find anything that I liked that was affordable (I had just quit my full time job to stay at home with my two young sons), so I thought I would just try painting my own.  I instantly fell in love with it and it has blossomed into something I never imagined.

Where can your work be viewed?  I have a studio in downtown Columbia, Missouri in the Orr Street Studios where I have art displayed.   I also have a website (www.studioaudrey.com) as well as a small etsy shop (www.studioaudrey.etsy.com).  Fresh Ayers in Hannibal, Missouri has several of my things available for sale.

What shows have you displayed in? I have been in Art in the Park (Columbia, Missouri), Longview Art and World Music Festival (Lee’s Summit, Missouri), Downtown Hannibal Art Festival (Hannibal, Missouri), and various Columbia Art League shows.

What do you most enjoy about the art scene in St. Louis/Metro East? I am not familiar with the art scene in this area.  I have heard wonderful things about Columbia, IL, so I am looking forward to being a part of this festival. 

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