For over 25 years, Evelyn has been dedicated to nurturing creativity, both in herself and others. From a young age, she identified as an artist, using art to ground herself. Like many artists, she set aside this integral part of her self-expression to focus on adult life, work, marriage, parenting, and the tender work of teaching children. Her last taste of formal art was an art minor, following her BS in Education.
Evelyn's artistic voice was reawakened by an Artist’s Way workshop in 2008. This led to a 365-day photography project, a love affair with Instagram, and explorations in artist trading cards and mixed media art journaling. Gradually, she grew brave enough to give her artist a voice on canvas once again.
Prior to reigniting her artistic flame, Evelyn spent a decade fostering young minds in the public school system and another 15 years empowering adults through adult learning programs focused on career education. Her time included nearly 4 years as a program director helping her team integrate expansive educational philosophies and methods. She holds a Master's degree in mental health therapy which continues to fuel her desire to help others see the creative gifts they embody. It also directs her own dialogue with her work as an artist, teacher, and curator.
Evelyn has facilitated Creative Soulcare Workshops, supported fellow emerging artists with warm encouragement and advisory curation, and engaged in the life-shifting work of Intuitive Painting & Soul Collage™. These experiences were profoundly transformative resulting in a body of work that integrates her love of paper, collage, acrylic, ink, pen, adhesives, and watercolor, and leading to a collection that features bold colors and sweeping abstractions.
As an artist, Evelyn weaves stories through vibrant colors and layered textures, translating her own depth of understanding into visual narratives. Her work explores themes of sensuality, vulnerability, and the emotional complexities of the human journey. It is designed to invite viewers into a moment of collective wisdom, prompting them to reflect: "Who am I, and how do I see myself in this piece of work?" She is thrilled to be part of Dunedin's vibrant art scene, actively contributing to community arts initiatives, and eager to inspire others to explore their own artistic potential.
Statement
Evelyn's work explores the vulnerability and the emotional complexities of the human journey. It is designed to invite viewers into a moment of collective wisdom, prompting them to reflect: "Who am I, and how do I see myself in this piece of work?" Before she answers the question, "What were you thinking when you painted this?" she redirects the viewer to identify what they experience in the piece. She does not hold "the answer" to her own intuitive process for her audience.
This conceptual foundation is realized through a rich, mixed-media practice. Her current body of work utilizes acrylic, ink, paper, tempera, stencils, and collage to establish a powerful sense of texture and visual contrast. She works in bold, vibrant colors, often blending directly on the canvas, employing techniques such as pushing, washing, or dripping the medium, or pollinating her brushes with multiple paint colors for unexpected internal variation. She frequently integrates torn paper, grounding the canvas or strategically placing pieces to create or highlight the figurative elements in her work.
The result of this process is a surreal view of the human body, nature, or portraiture. Evelyn delights in portraying her subjects with colors and textures that compel the viewer toward closer examination. Her pieces are built in multiple layers, incorporating subtle and careful selections of words or symbols, and a strong contrast of color to fully articulate the subject. This entire method is significantly influenced by Intuitive Painting, which has increasingly shaped her creative process in recent years, inspiring work characterized by greater boldness and expressive flow.