RHODA SAVAGE
ABOUT THE ARTIST
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At a very young age, I realized there was something about me that was different. Understanding how “different” was challenging when I was younger. As I aged, I realized different meant “creative”. Creative to a degree that is simply not the norm. These past few years being different has become something that I accept and value. It is who I am, and it is the reason I have chosen to become an artist. As a child, art provided fun and an escape from the world of history, English and other subjects taught in the classroom. My doodles kept my mind occupied, and at times got me in a bit of trouble with the instructors. Other times, my classroom sketches were more favorably received, earning me extra credit or exemptions from taking exams. However, no matter how positively my “doodles” were received by others, becoming an artist was never presented to me as an option for higher education or a professional career. My professional career included work in city government and architecture. City government enabled me to find ways to be creative through park and trail designs as well as special event planning. I learned the terms servant heart and community engagement. During my government phase, I worked with an Architect to design and construct a municipal building. That experience motivated me to study and practice architecture.
Architecture taught me about time management and self-discipline. Studying architecture was also my first exposure to formal training in art and design theory. Architecture has given me the tools to create art in a manner that is structured and meets many architectural principles. I relate most to Mies van der Rohe’s philosophy that “less is more”. This philosophy is one of the primary philosophies utilized in my current phase of life…creating art. In Feb. 2020 I dedicated myself to painting daily. Within a year, I sold my first few pieces. Within two years, I sold sixty-two paintings (forty-five of which sold on a commission). Clients included art collectors, Interior Designers, Sculptors, interior decorators, Architects, friends, and relatives. It was very unexpected and humbling for my work to be accepted by others so quickly. I have many to thank for my immediate success, but first and foremost is an artist friend whose work I value, appreciate and have acquired as part of my personal collection. That friend has become quite an accomplished artist who works with beeswax and damar resin, “encaustic”. His work is my inspiration for using encaustic on cradled wood panels as my primary medium and palette. My encaustic philosophy is that less is more, and most works include use of strong geometric lines and shapes. The past few years were dedicated to refining my craft and seeking exposure to other artists and the art community. It is now time to immerse myself in the world of networking with others who are different, like me, and begin not only creating art, but making a career of being an art practitioner. |
