Welcome and Greetings
In the past, this site has been an art portfolio and will still continue to host new paintings and projects as I do freelance artwork in my downtime. However, as I am now pursuing a career in library and information science, the focus has shifted to my resume and CV for potential employers. Nevertheless, I will always be an artist, so please continue to return in years to come to see what new projects I create after graduation when time allows me to pursue my hobbies again.
I create my art and my stories for many reasons: passion, a desire to look at life in a new way, a way to cope with life’s inevitable joys and griefs… but above all, as Martha Graham once wrote, “…there is only one [me] in all of time, this expression is unique.” I have a story to tell and paint, and each day adds a new brushstroke and a new element to an ever-changing plotline. So, here I am, my brushstrokes and my words, my dreams and ambitions for the future (albeit in the professional form).
There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening
that is translated through you into action,
and because there is only one of you in all time,
this expression is unique.If you block it,
it will never exist through any other medium
and be lost.
The world will not have it.It is not yours to determine how good it is;
nor how it compares with other expressions.
It is your business to keep the channel open.
You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work.You have to keep open and aware directly
to the urges that motivate you.
Keep the channel open.No artist is ever pleased.
There is no satisfaction whatever at any time.
There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction;
a blessed unrest that keeps us marching
and makes us more alive than the others.
This site is officially my art portfolio and résumé. Feel free to bookmark the page, as I often add new pieces and new experiments. I am available to do freelance work at my own discretion, both writing and visual art, and at the time of writing this, I am looking for a full-time writing, editing, office work, or design position. If you would like to contact me, the contact form below is a great place to start. My freelance business blog, a separate, more casual site, is located at http://www.brushstrokes-by-niki.com, which also contains links to my Facebook fan page, and it is another great place to get in touch with me.
If it takes me awhile to respond, please be patient. I’m in a period of major transition in various areas of my professional and personal life.
Peace to you and yours.