Plastic Free Mermaids Collage

My work is a reflection of my life as it is affected by events, both personal and global. Sometimes it mirrors the joy that life has brought me, or it may be a shadow of the angst that sometimes shrouds our everyday lives. Whatever the inspiration, each work evolves in its own unique way, whether starting as a field of color, a grid of plaster or a shield of images and found objects. The journey to completion is a metamorphosis,sometimes slow, sometimes quickly, until the final image of the thought or emotion I am endeavoring to communicate reveals itself to me." As my art envelops me and images rise, I am drawn in by textures and emotions; memories both beautiful and haunting. New images ascend from my subconscious, declaring themselves upon the canvas as I begin to fade away. Moving to Los Angeles and leaving everything in my life in New York I was lost and lonely in my life. I was searching for forgiveness, but realized I had to forgive myself first. Empathy began to be the medium in my painting. I developed a relationship with my newfound transparent friends. We both felt invisible. As I began to immerge, invisible images and monsters began to emerge. Mati Russo