Connections 2 (2005)

About the Artist:
Although I took art in high school and have taken workshops, I am primarily a self-taught painter. I have read many books on various aspects of painting, but when it comes down to the canvas and me, I paint intuitively. My grandfather was an artist and I have been surrounded by his paintings my entire life, so I believe that I come by my gift both through nature and nurture.

I work in an impressionistic, representational style. Because of my schizophrenia, my mind moves rapidly, so I don’t tend to include a high amount of detail. However, I am also hyper-observant, and I have a desire to get people to see the world around us more deeply than I do.

I have had schizophrenia with major depression for most of my adult life. Before my illness, I was very much into music, in particular playing the piano and hand bells and composing. I was able to earn an Associate of Fine Arts degree in piano. As my disease progressed, however, it became more and more difficult to process music, which is a rather abstract form of art. This, in turn, fuelled my depression. I felt robbed of something that had been such a huge part of my life.

I finally returned to visual art. At first, it was just crayon drawings of my visions of my various demons, done for the benefit of my counsellor. This is when the idea of using art to communicate really hit home for me.

Artist's Statement:
My first painting after this long "dry spell" was called Portrait of a Schizophrenic. It depicts my interpretation of this horrible disease. Now, while I don’t always do such provocative work, I do feel that I am able to communicate through my paintings.

If I did not have my art, I would really not have much of anything for which to live. Whether it is a painting from my Schizophrenia series, in which I depict elements of the disease using symbols from nature, or just a painting of a scene that struck me as interesting, I have a deep desire to show other people my perceptions.

Deep down in my heart I am a story-teller. While I cannot tell my stories through music or easily through words any longer, I can "talk" through my pictures. To me, that’s what art is about.

La Vigne has participated in local group shows and exhibited in the Art of Triumph Show in Arizona in 2003.

Exhibitions: