When I started building this website, It did not occur to me that I would be inadvertently writing my present day memoir and self reflection manual but here I am, declaring about all that I am and aspire to be and how I got to this place when really - I just want you to come here, stay a while and buy my art if you please. Nah, just kidding - I do actually want you to know all this stuff (and still want to buy my art).
For as long as I can remember, I have been obsessed with anchors. I also used to be obsessed with olives but we can save that for another day as it gets into how I became an entrepreneur and developed my marketing skills at the age of 9. So, anyhow - about that anchor...People often ask me about my love of anchors. I am sure some also wonder why I have branded my business using an anchor as the focal point of my logo when it doesn't really represent what I sell yet what it does do is represent me and in a way, represents my love for the sea and for being free.
As my obsession has grown and transformed itself over the years from the anchor necklace and earrings I wore until they wore out their welcome to the anchor lace up hoodies my friends sport on my businesses behalf and now, the beautiful anchor tattoo on the outside of my right forearm the anchor is the most emotionally and spiritually meaningful, tangible object I am so fond of for it is only I that can tie myself down or set myself free. I am my own anchor.
This philosophy bleeds into my personal life, my business life and my social life. The ideology of a large heavy metal object representing the setbacks and challenges of running a business to the freedom that my chosen path provides me is actually quite liberating on many levels. I hold the chain and control when to drop anchor and hold the chain and control when to up anchor. I think that makes me the captain of my own ship.
This is precisely how one of my first pieces of art came to be and on it, the quote reads, "Thank you for being the anchor in my life and for keeping me grounded, yet always knowing when to keep me afloat." I suppose looking back now, I really was thanking myself. This piece of art was created using one of my first acrylic paintings and was one of the three pieces of art that was first licensed to a retail chain...maybe you know them, HomeGoods. The anchor is really where it all began.
My first three images licensed to retail in 2012 were nautical and nature inspired designs. I had an art consulting appointment with the manufacturer providing the canvas art for HomeGoods on an unrelated matter and upon touring, it just so happened, they were in the midst of production of these pieces. To this day, it never gets old to see my work in retail. A lot has happened in the licensing arena since 2012 and US manufacturers like this one shown have gone out of business. As artists, our work is often undermined in value becuase agencies here cannot compete with the low cost of art licensing and production from overseas. Let's hope that changes as we continue on the home grown - 'Made in the USA' trajectory.