LYNN MARIE DWYER’s ART OF COMMUNICATION!
LYNN MARIE DWYER says: “I’ve been an artist all my life, beginning with mud-pies in the middle of my dirt road when i was four. I live to create. It is my true love.”
“I enjoy combining materials in my work. Metal, wood, fiber, collage…. I am experimenting and allowing myself to explore and dive into a variety of materials and see how they survive together. I’ve been working with clay now for about 16 years.
I originate from the cliffs on the coast of Massachusetts overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and Provincetown. I now live in Ellijay overlooking the sea of trees on Stover Mountain. I teach through my own private studio I call Willows Branches and travel for teaching workshops, and am the resident artist at T he Blue Ridge Mountains Art Center, where I have a private studio in the Summit Studios Resident area. Part of my mission as an artist is to inspire and teach, and I make sure I include this in my yearly goals. I teach children and adults, as often as I can.
A prior Executive Director of the Gilmer Arts and Heritage Association and former
Grassroots Grant recipient Fannin County 2009 to work with the disabled adult population at the Mineral Springs Center. We made clay tiles and composed a sign in mosaic outside the center. I feel this to be one of the most rewarding experiences I have had so far.
I’m a carpenter, an organic gardener, a writer, A Mad Hatter, A Photographer and an egghead. I hope you enjoy my work.”
I asked Lynn what her wildest dream was. This is her answer:
“Wildest Dream – Wow, you’re brave asking that of an artist! Well, luckily for you I spent a while lot of time striving to be a Catholic Nun, so mine is tame! My wildest dream is to trade houses with the people that run the art hostel on the Aran Islands in Ireland for one year. They get my house and situation, and I get theirs. We give each other our cars, our everything. They come, get a year off, and I get to run the place.”
Lynn Marie, welcome and thank you so much for your honesty and generosity. I feel truly honoured that you’ve accepted my invitation to participate in this project. I feel certain our readers will learn a lot from your answers to the following questions:
No. 1) What is art to and for you? (in general and personally)
Art has been the one thing in my life that really gets me excited, I’m passionate about it because of the communication aspect it possesses. I was a child who sat silent a lot and off to the side. I always had dreams of trying to scream, but no voice would come out. I spent a couple years without speaking, and suffer from an anxiety disorder that brings that out. ART completely combats that. And my art, when I make it, It makes me laugh, some of the pieces, I learn so much about myself from, about a year later, when I look at my own work, I am able to see silent messages, meant for me, and also meant for others. I think art speaks louder that the bla bla bla of some wordstream from someones mouth. I have learned to live in silence, but not really, my art speaks volumes about who I am.
No. 2) What inspires you?
Wind. When it blows and I feel it, I could create all day. But if you are asking about people I admire, or art I have been drawn to, Gustav Klimt is my favorite oldie. I have some new favorites, lots actually, I see so many talented artists now on Facebook, It’s an art filled, beautiful planet.
No. 3) When you are creating, where does it take you? Where does your mind travel?
Oh my, I can lose hours and days when I really get into it. And then I have days I can’t do
anything but roll balls and pretend that I’m an artist. But When I am in it, I love the grounding feeling I get from working with clay, I love the movement of clay, and how it can capture movement and display that – and it seems to stimulate my second chakra, the fire in me. For me, this fire is vital to my life. I work fast, and furious. I work on several pieces at once. I can wake up mid night and know what to do on one, and do it before I Forget. and go back to sleep and start another again. I work every day.
No. 4) Do you think music, visual art and health are related and if so, how?
Absolutely. How so, in every possible way, in every cell we possess. Music’s vibration heals, Song heals our voice, and visual art stimulates our brain.
No. 5) Your work is varied and touches a lot of different forms of expression, what ever made you choose this direction?
It’s just me. I’m the girl that gets off the boat, watches where the crowd goes, and walks the opposite way, sits on the far wall and watches them all. Observes them, takes photos of them. Then I trot along my way with my own head and my own thoughts. I talk to random strangers often. I ask personal questions, people answer me. I take what I hear, what I see and I express that way. I liking combining materials because I think life is about combining materials – and I like the contrast of the strong and fragile, because that is who I feel like I am, strong and fragile.
No. 6) Do you identify with your subjects and if so, on what level?
Well when I am creating work for people to buy at shows, or inexpensive affordable work, I make pieces that make people laugh. That’s my goal in that realm. But when I am working on larger pieces, I specialize in CROWS and Horses, and yes, they are my guides in life. I feel I am a Crow, and I feel I am a horse, so I honor them by bringing them to life in my own way – to present them to people with a smile, since some people get freaked out over crows.
No. 7) Under what conditions do you work best?
When I don’t have other problems I’m dealing with, money ones usually, or teenager issues. Sometimes I can get stuck and want to go climb under the covers. The rest of the time, I start moving the clay, and the clay tells me exactly what to do.
No. 8 ) Does creating help you connect with your “higher self”, whatever that may be for you?
I think it definitely Grounds me, which with that makes me pay more attention to my surroundings. The animals crossing my path, my intuition, I seem to listen more. I watch what I make, I consider it all.
No. 9) How do you feel about creativity in the public school system?
Well, I think it’s horrifying how it’s changed. This is why I keep on teaching. Where I live in rural north Georgia, the funding for art has almost been completely taken. Some children never get art at all. They get shoved into some little box and are supposed to learn the same, express the same. Teaching kids, and seeing them bloom and love clay, and laughing, will make me keep doing this til my day before the pearly gates 🙂
No. 10) In your opinion, what could be a simple solution to improve creativity
in the public school system?
I don’t think it’s simple. I think like healthcare, it’s a nightmare, and politics and nothing more. We take education lightly in this country in general and art is not considered necessary. Being an artist is sometimes still considered being a loser without a “real” job. I think we need money here. I think the government needs to stop spending in some areas, and spend more in others. Focus on making changes to encourage creativity, because without it, we lose an ability to problem solve, and ground. Look at the whole – enhance our brains, not just add to our gun collection.
No. 11) In your first answer, you mention that you were often silent and off to the side as a child and that art suddenly gave you a voice. From your own experience, would you say the arts could or should also be used as a form of therapy to help people come out of their shell?
Definitely. We all self-medicate. Some with Drink, some with drugs, some with sex, it doesn’t matter. Some with obsession complaining! For me art helped me express. I didn’t believe in talk therapy, so I looked to something else. It took 10 years to even let anyone LOOK at my art, or publish any writing with my real name; and once I did, I suffered anxiety that was disabling, but after time, and aging (maturing) I saw I actually understood, and some people even felt my pain around things I made, and somehow that changed everything for me. I don’t feel bad about being a silent one, a phone avoider … a little recluse, because I spend all day communicating through my fingers. Every day. For hours. Now that’s communication. I also write, which feels like talking, even though there is no sound, I still am expressing. Writing my blog, putting myself out there, looking for support has been really great for who I have become. I think we all are talking, just a different language. Mine may be with Crows and funky hats 🙂
No. 12) What are you hoping to convey through your art?
Laughter and Smiles. The World needs it big time.
Again, Lynn Marie, thank you so much for sharing so generously with us, your thoughts and feelings and wonderful talent. I wish you the best in all your endeavours including realizing your wildest dream. Until our paths cross again, keep well and be blessed!
TO THE READER :
You are cordially invited to visit Lynn Marie’s links below and see more of her most original art. As always, your comments are truly appreciated, thank you and enjoy!
Links –
I am available for friending on Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/willow.teagan
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