Going back to my roots...

Having graduated from SUNY New Paltz with an Art Aducation degree with a concentration in painting, you were technically

trained in all aspects of art and are sort of required to know the characteristics of all materials...including art history (which were 3 grueling hours with Mr. Rogers in the dark...sweet dude)

With that being said, I was naturally a mixed media artist because I was drawn to different materials that would help me best interpret and express a variety of concepts. After being a maker for the first half of my freelance career 2016-2017 and putting on my first solo show in 2017 at the Gowanus Print Lab, I realized how much further I needed to push my fine art if I ever wanted to pursue it as a real profession or at least pursue both being a maker and a fine artist.

I would argue or maybe just state...that there is a stronger importance place on being vulnerability, super personal and passionate incorporated into creating a fine art body of work than it does for me to make leather accessories. This in itself has been challenging but also refreshing.

The great thing about my freelance life is that I get to choose what moves me...aside from the financial stressors, I get to be a maker one day AND pursue my conceptual art simultaneously and really not have to explain it to anyone.

As I prepare over the next 6 months for my second solo show, thus far "Untitled" that uses multi-media (video, photography, projection).

I'm uncomfortable in my own thoughts, but am diving into some personal stuff that seems pretty fitting for me to address in my current raw state...a very "what/who do I have to lose" attitude.

I hope you'll follow me on my journey on social media and support my experience and new discoveries...@merakinyc

P.S. I hate writing. :)