Artist's Statement by Virginia K. Freyermuth
“Art is not a thing; it is a way."
E. Hubbard
I have considered myself an artist since early childhood when my mother first put a pencil in my hand and taught me to draw. Before long I was teaching my playmates to draw as well, and by first grade I told my teacher that I was going to be an artist when I grew up. I spent many long joyful hours creating imagined drawings, paintings, and stories to accompany them.
I have had many wonderful teachers, including family members, friends, mentors, and professors, who over the years gave me guidance and support and who opened my eyes to the world and the world of art. I am humbly grateful for the creative life I live. I became a teacher to give back to others what had been given to me: a deepened sense of self and the ability to cherish, develop, enjoy, and wisely use one’s own unique talents.
The inquiries that drive my work are: How can our creative capacities provide a sense of hope and vision for today and the future? How can we continually come to know who we are through the creative process? How can we creatively seek meaningful connections between ourselves, others, and the environment in today's world? What can we learn through the creative process? What can our learning and creative work mean to others and how can it help? What is art to me and others, and why is it so compelling?
Mine is a holistic approach through which the heart and mind are open to possibility, where intention and intuition are honored, and where doing work that matters with wonder, grace and love is valued. I am open to the exploration of all media and processes in the service of creative intention through an investigative and transformative process of learning and discovery. I see my work as a connection between the magical and the ordinary, between the everyday and the divine, between inner and outer worlds, and between what is and what is possible.