Artist’s Statement

When watching a documentary about Toy Story there was one behind the scenes story that really stood out to me. One of the creators were talking about how early test audiences were off-put by how clean everything was. Sharp lines and gradient shadows were perfect to the point of distraction. In a magical tale of toys coming alive the most unbelievable part was that everything was too uniform. After that viewing the film makers actually added dust and other flaws to the frames. Of course, the film proved that computer generated images could form a box office hit.

The lesson that stood out to me was that imperfection made the images more alive. Life is temporary and messy, but it can be fun and beautiful as well.

With the advent of photography, and the subsequent hyper-realism digital art brought, images have become as perfect as they can be, a true moment in time. However, the pictures that speak to me the most are… a little rougher or even fuzzier around the edges. Slowly I realized that I enjoy my flawed drawings and I love adding even more “dust” until it all feels right. I extend this thought into my newest passion of needle-felting by trying to blur the line between realism and whimsy.

 

If you have any questions feel free to email me at Melissa@wishlessworld.com