As a former print and television Advertising Director, I was always fascinated by the artistry of Graphic Design.
Having received a BS in Business Communications from the University of Guam, I followed a path of responsibility related solely to the "business" side of publishing and digital advertising, never really embracing my own creative instinct and talent. All went accordingly and I prospered... until 2016, when my career, my home, and the "pretty" life I'd created became a thing of the past. My family was torn apart and my highly-developed image of myself as well as my always-optimistic wordly viewpoints were shattered.
In 2017, after a year of self-lothing, I began doing multi-media collage on ceramic tile (a process that occurred organically for me and is now an official practice called "Soul Collage"). I created an adhesion-layering process and experimented with polymer and resin overlay. I started including some freehand acrylic and ink highlights on my asthetics, and in the process I found a means of self-expression that helped "fill the void". I eventually made it through the grief process to a delicate acceptance of my "Truman" -like life experience.
After another year of healing through artistry, my business-skills kicked in and I suddenly saw that my own body of work was actually "marketable." I desperately wanted to leave a legacy to my children, other than which had left me labeled as "wayward". I formed a partnership with my youngest daughter, Jordan Claire, and J & j Images was born...
I began selling my handcrafted ceramic tiles at a local Christmas Craft Fair in December 2018, and was sucessful!
Clinging to the goal of redesigning my life and legacy, in 2019 I formed a Ca. 'B' corporation (Businesses for the Common Good), Spilling Pink Worldwide, with a mission of helping homeless and incarcerated artists learn to value, hone, and use their gift to better their lives. I would sell their art alongside my own, establish a fresh-start bank account for them, buy their supplies, give the homeless artists a space to work for a period of time each week, and I would teach them basic financial management and investing skills in order for them to someday support themselves and their families.
I purchased vendor booths at special-interest (themed) fairs, festivals and events throughout California and offered consigned pieces (as well as my own work) to match the theme of each event.
Things were moving in the right direction until all of my exhibit reservations were cancelled due to "Shelter at Home". I was once again knocked off track - with no safety net!
From home, I began experimenting with photography and various digital editing applications and found my absolute passion! Since then, I have been obsessed with all of the photo-manipulation techniques that are available on-line and have created hundreds of unique pieces in a style that I call Digital Decopague ("Digi-Deco"). When AI rolled out with it's text-to-image and photo engancement technologies I jumped right on board and later was introduced to the term "AI Collaborate Artist" in a short documentary by Stanford University, featuring a digital creator using
the same processes I use.
My work is greatly influenced by my work in advertising, by my father's collection of psychodelic concert posters from the 60's and 70's, by my Grandfather's simple life of farm and family and hard work, and by my military service (United States Navy).
I believe that the act of creating (crafting and artistry) saved me. I have become a huge advocate of art-therapy for individuals with trauma-related syndromes and aspire to a position of education, skill, ability, and availability, to donate my time and energy to helping others cleanse, express, and heal, via guided crafting and art practice.
I believe that now is my time to shine... I feel ready to present my work to the public but I am without steady income and without capital as I once and again rebuild my life from Ground Zero.
One of my motto's for J & j Images is this...
"The seed does not understand the vine it is to become"...
Who knows? Maybe I will "become", and all will be good again.
Thank you for your interest,
Jamie Williams, aka MalloryJane.
J & j Images
