Today we’d like to introduce you to Emerald Barkley.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I am an artist in Northern California. I’ve been drawing and painting since I was a kid, but I started to take it seriously when I won the art scholarship at my local community college. It was a really small scholarship, but it made me realize that I could create a place for myself in the artist community. I’m six years in, and while I’m not quite able to quit my day job, I love how far I’ve come and the people I have met.
Please tell us about your art.
I work primarily in watercolor, and my subjects tend to be ethereal women, wild animals, bones, and various pieces of anatomy. I use art to explore ideas about identity, morality, and human behavior. I am interested in how our early development establishes our lens and informs our worldview, the things our ego drives us to do, and the very human struggle between dark and light and all the grey in between. I like to think of art as building a visual language to communicate the ideas that I am processing at that time.
Choosing a creative or artistic path comes with many financial challenges. Any advice for those struggling to focus on their artwork due to financial concerns?
There is absolutely no shame in having a job outside of your art practice. Many people seem to think that having a day job somehow invalidates your creativity, but that couldn’t be further than the truth. In the beginning, having a dependable source of income will allow you to pursue the work you *want* to make and give you the opportunity to build your voice, instead of the work that you *have* to make in order to pay the bills. If you can get a job in the art industry right away, that’s great! But if not, don’t beat yourself up over it. Instead, allow the fact that your time away from work is limited to be intentional with your art.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
You can check out my work on my website, emeraldbarkley.com, or my Instagram – where I am way more active – https://www.instagram.com/emeraldbarkley/
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.emeraldbarkley.com/
- Phone: 530906605
- Email: emerald.barkley@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emeraldbarkley/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VanadiumTaintedBeryl/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/emeraldbarkley1
Image Credit:
All images are taken by me.
Reference in “Naked But Safe” is Maya Pascal/@white_voodoo
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