Eileen Myles, Poet Painting

Originally from New York, I am an artist living and working in Fairfax, Virginia. "They say that when an old person dies, a library goes with them" (1) I wish to paint those stories - as written on our bodies, line by beautiful line. Old age is a symbol of survival. The journey is long and hard. And messy. We bear scars that represent depth and strength and resilience. Can I capture a beauty that comes from within? Has the journey brought us closer to all that we love? Can I convey love, the thread that joins us all? "My heart was more disgraceful, more alone And more courageous than the world has known. O' passer-by my heart was like your own." Violet Trefusis (1) Wangechi Mutu, Kenyan artist I grew up in Queens, NY and the only thing I ever wanted to do was make art. Paint, pencil, stone, metal, clay, any medium fueled me. Many twists and turns caused me to run from what I loved, but I held onto sketchbook and pencil as though for dear life; through careers as a carpenter and an ordained a Reform rabbi. I am a self-taught artist living in Northern Virginia. I've educated myself over years with books, classes, mentors and 10,000 hours of work.