Artist Statement by J.E. Crum

J.E. Crum is an artist who creates vivid self-portraits inspired by mythologies. Working intuitively, Crum creates narratives related to thoughts about fate, destiny and dreams.

Insight about the processes & technique of my work

I consider myself a fantasy artist or, as I like to refer to it, ‘fantastical’. My work could also be described as being surrealistic, yet I am not concerned with realism as much as I am with creating surreal abstractions of reality, exaggerating color to increase its intensity, and combining the imagery in a poetic manner. Meanwhile, I’m allured to the concept of the self-portrait, a subject matter I’ve been intrigued with since first studying art over twenty years ago. Once I understood that the concept of creating portraits of oneself can transcend the idea of a physical representation, becoming a means to self-actualization and realization, I found the act of creating self-portraits as an artist to be very empowering.

I enjoy utilizing the exploratory qualities of art materials, developing playful juxtapositions of colors and shapes within the artworks using the method of automatism: I don’t always know what I am creating but use art as a means to relax and be “lost” in the process. By working in this manner, I seem to be able to allow my creativity to flow naturally. Personal narratives develop as I create my artwork organically. I explore beliefs about fate, destiny, and the meaning of my dreams when studying my work as it evolves in its’ various stages of completion. I also tend to find inspiration for ideas from a variety of ancient stories and mythologies I enjoy as I develop my artwork series.

Over the past four years, I’ve been painting with liquid watercolors on hand-made printmaking paper to explore this technique I utilize. The medium lends itself to an unpredictability I enjoy to further explore my technique. When I paint, I achieve a very rich vibrancy to the colors I use. Since the printmaking paper was not designed to use with watercolors, the paints continue to saturate the paper past the areas that were wet after I let the paintings set to dry, which forces me to explore how images form, after which I must re-evaluate how to further complete the works, as I attempt to make visually stunning works, capturing the mood I try to express through each piece. My results lead to creating art that capture the aesthetic of dreamlike states: ethereal in some pieces, while haunting in other works. Sometimes I am amazed at what is created, as my art can seem to help me understand more about how I feel about changes in my life, the world around me and how I respond to these inevitably changing variables.

We will be showcasing Crum’s works throughout the month of March, so stay tuned every Monday.

To see more from J.E. Crum, you can visit her Facebook page and her website.