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Selma F. Blackburn
With a B.A. in Education (1962), a B.A. in Art (1990) and over thirty years' experience as an artist and teacher in Arkansas, the compelling force of my artistic journey is my quest for meaning, and for seeing and understanding the world's beautiful gifts and many challenges. For me the process of creating involves intellectual, spiritual, emotional and physical components that allow me to probe deeply.
In my quest to learn more, I think of painting as a visual effort that translates personal feelings, observations, and an imaginative record of a moment into a vision that can be shared. The process usually begins with extensive preparatory drawings, revisions, and plans that provide the basis for reaching out to communicate as the work evolves and is finally presented to the viewer.
My paintings are conceived as explorations of a wide range of subjects and ideas. Composition, shapes, lines and colors are designed to expose the delight I feel in simple subjects, and are often tinged with whimsy that serves to remind one not to take oneself too seriously.
Craftsmanship, discipline, good fortune, and years of experience allow me to consciously engage in making all my moments count, without being in a hurry to reach a destination. Creating art is for me a dynamic, enriching, poetic, joyful way to pursue adventure and live a life.
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My work has been included and won awards in juried exhibitions nationwide over the past 30 years, including the American Watercolor Society, NY, the National Watercolor Society, CA, Mid-Southern Watercolorists, AR, Georgia Watercolor Society, Rocky Mountain National Watermedia Society, SanDiego Watercolor Society, Southern Watercolor Society, and Southwestern Watercolor Society. My paintings are included in the Arkansas Arts Center Foundation collection and that of the Historic Arkansas Museum, and many are in private and public collections.
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