Today we’d like to introduce you to Bama Art.
Bama, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I think I first need to explain my art name as Bama Art. After living in NY to go to college, the film “True Romance” came out in 1993 by Quentin Tarantino. The actress Patricia Arquette was the lead actress role, and my friends believed me to look just like her. In the movie she went by Alabama Worley, and the nickname “Alabama”, and then “Bama” was started. As an artist I wanted people to associate me with the name my friends had given me and I created Bama Art.
Being on my own since I was 16, I see myself as a creative woman with a lifetime of experience. I believe there’s a fearlessness that is required to be your own person. I believe that no matter how obscure your vision is, you need to take risks and stand up for what you believe in. I’m a proud woman who refused to put myself last or minimize my achievements. In moments of self-doubt or adversity, it’s not always easy, but one of my greatest qualities in my life has been resilience. I survived so much in my personal life and used it to push myself to become the artist that I am today and continue in my life’s path. Success for me means loving and excepting myself and using my creativity to have a positive effect on the world around me, as well as, being psychologically healthy, happy, and secure with who I am as a person regardless of income, position, or title.
I often have moments of self-criticism, but because of my home life growing up, I consider them constructive rather than discouraging because I learned to take criticism and turn it around to work even harder. I wish I would have taken myself seriously a lot sooner. My doubts and people saying it’s almost impossible to make a living as an artist and you will never be happy, pushed me, but at the same time kept me from doing what I truly loved until the year 2008 when I finally took the leap and began to show in live art shows. As a runaway at 16, it was difficult to know what I wanted to do because survival was at the top of the list. I worked every job possible just to make ends meet and traveled in several states before even the age of 18.
I was able to take my GED and SATs at a college a boyfriend at the time was attending and continued my education receiving a degree in Interior Design in 1992. I was very fortunate to have some of the best professors offering art classes at my college. I was given an award for the most progress and achievement in the field of Interior Design and later received a seat on the board of the Fine Arts Society of the Southern Tier in NY, working with pointillism ink art and also receiving awards in the field of graphic design. I went through a very hard time in my life with a divorce and the passing of my mother with Multiple Sclerosis, and didn’t publicly continue with my art again until 2008 in Tempe, AZ. At this time, I started live art with a music and art promotion company Art-A-Gogh-Gogh, that promoted musicians and local artists at a neighborhood venue.
It was the first time I had ever done live art, and at this time it only consisted of brush strokes of black India ink on canvas. My career in San Diego as an artist started in 2013 when I moved back to Mission Beach. I had lived here in 2001-2004 after my divorce and then moved to AZ to help my brother with his landscape company. I was there longer than expected and was elated to finally make my way back to Mission Beach. When you talk to people about how my art has progressed they will tell you that color didn’t enter into my life or my artwork until I finally came home to CA.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
My daily hurdle is making art that isn’t the best it can be in my own minds eye. I think the important thing is to avoid overthinking and allow yourself to be wrong. My mistakes usually become my best works of art. Just because you don’t like it, doesn’t mean someone else won’t like it. My inspiration is all around me in the artists I’ve become to know as friends and the social media of the many talented people out there succeeding and achieving the goals they’ve set in life. There’s a fear in maintaining the ability to stay motivated and inspired from within. Only I can keep my passion and interest alive. I worry about keeping up with the progression of my peers and pushing myself on a continuous upward path in my own artwork. Being an artist means you’re always working. You never have set hours and can never take vacation from it. It’s a constant process that is really difficult to take a break from. Promoting yourself on social media and attending art shows that are yours as well as your peers is time consuming, but necessary to keep you inspired and known in the art world.
Being able to exhibit my art at so many venues and galleries, working with people who have pledged to make art a part of their community, is amazing for me. My art has been well received in AZ and San Diego, CA. from my peers, art collectors, and friends. I primarily use the art of brush with black India ink over spray paint and acrylic paint. I learned the ability to spray paint from an old friend who was a graffiti artist. He was always inspiring to me because of his passion to create art at a time when graffiti was not embraced as a true art form, and he risked his freedom and repercussion from rivalry graffiti art gangs. I’m far from a graffiti artist, but when I hold a spray paint can, I feel empowered. As a woman, there have been hurdles to overcome with this male dominated art. The ability to spray paint, even on canvas, has many issues. The work area needs to be ventilated and lighting is always an issue when you are trying to keep the fumes to a minimum to the surrounding areas. Most of my spray-painted pieces have several layers to create a mystical and sometimes dark depending on each individual’s interpretation. My use of acrylics as a wash is to create a more intensified color and depth.
The ink work is a continual flow that works to re-create the viewer’s general impression of a scene. I categorize my art as abstract “Abstract art uses a visual language of shape, form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. … Abstraction indicates a departure from reality in depiction of imagery in art.” I appreciate all forms of art as well as music, and without the sound of music to inspire me, I would never be who I am today. Most of my artwork has the feeling of music or the flow of water that I associate with the ocean. I feel a freedom standing by the ocean with the ocean breeze pushing against my face or when I hear my favorite song. I want the viewer to see that freedom to see what’s inside of them through my art. I’m so grateful when I hear the different interpretations of my art from each individual as if it were their own.
Bama Art has had the privilege to show with many organizations and galleries in her career starting in New York during college at Netherton’s Art Gallery and The Fine Arts Society of The Southern Tier. In 2008 her career as a live and showing artists in Phoenix and Tempe, AZ area started with Art-A-Gogh-Gogh, Erotic Exotic, First Friday Downtown Phoenix, The Fantastic Art Exhibit, Nightmare on 5th St, RAW Artists in Scottsdale, AZ and Downtown San Diego, CA. As well as from 2013- present in San Diego surrounding areas with The ArtLab Studios in North Park, Villa Musica Arts Center Solo Art Show, ArtXchange, Pancakes & Booze San Diego, ABK Top Artists, LaBodega Art Studios, Ray at Night Kent Karra’s Studio, Mesheeka Art Gallery, The Studio Door Art Gallery, Art Unites, Hanalei Art Works, Bettinatime, Cosmos Local Art Show in Hillcrest, and various locations at restaurants and eateries, such as, Mission Beach’s Single Fin and The Mission Restaurant who are dedicated to supporting local artists. Meze downtown, Hotel Solamar Rooftop Downtown, Mike Hess Brewery, The Green Flash Brewery, Bar Basic Pizza, and many more contributing people and businesses who dedicate their time in supporting San Diego Artists.
Do current events, local or global, affect your work and what you are focused on?
I think art in schools is such a valuable staple in creating critical thinkers who can challenge media and social norms. I believe when we get rid of art, we begin to lose free thinking.
There are many factors in just the San Diego area that have been trying to be addressed for many years for the role of local artists. In this article of the publication “Voice of San Diego” they bring up some very important points.
Artists Can’t Afford San Diego
There Aren’t Any Art Collectors
Arts Groups Aren’t Collaborating
No One Knows About All the Art Events
San Diego Needs an Art Critic
San Diego Is Known Internationally for Shamu and Pandas, Not Art
Proximity Is a Problem
San Diego’s Colleges and Universities Operate in Bubbles
Someone Needs to Show San Diego Artists the Money
City Leaders Should Help
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
There are always shows and exhibitions that can be found on my website on upcoming shows @ bamainkart.com
The next showing of all my original art pieces will be in Mission Beach, CA at The Mission Restaurant starting June 18th through July 28th. This is in my neighborhood and I’m excited to show my art at this busy local and tourist location.
http://www.themissionsd.com/
3795 Mission Blvd, San Diego, CA 92109
7am to 3pm (Mon-Sun)
“Wholesome”, “tasty” breakfasts and lunches for both the gluten-free and “sugar-and-carbs” crowds can be found at this “hip” trio, where the “Mexican-inspired” menu comes in “huge portions” and is affordable to boot; it’s ever-“popular”, so expect “noisy” acoustics and “arrive early” on weekends or expect to wait.
Contact Info:
- Address: Mission Beach / San Diego, CA
- Website: https://bamainkart.com/
- Email: bamainkart@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bamainkart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BamaInkArt
Image Credit:
Kamelia Kami Farokhi with ABK
Gwendolyn Sneed with Art Xchange @ Blank Slate Creative Studio
Blanca Lucia Bergman with Art Unites @ Bright Lights.
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
