I recently have decided that I wanted to try blogging. This blog is about experimenting with new mediums and how travelling has affected my perception of art. I want to share my the artistic process, struggles and successes in my artworks. It is my goal to be as real and raw as possible.  Like any human, i have days where the struggle is real. I may only focus on the struggles and forget to appreciate my successes. A lot of time I get caught up in what needs to get done for work or my home that I forget to take time for myself to clear my head and create. I am hoping that this blog gives me a sense of accountability. 

 I am a life long learner. I love learning about artists and how culture effects the human experience. I LOVE experimenting with new mediums.  I have gone from traditional painting, figure drawing to abstract and everything in between. This is how I found my ‘style’. My personal work is done in powdered graphite and water. Its like a combination of watercolor painting and drawing. It took me about three years to get it to the point where I loved the product. But in the past year or so I have experimenting with fluid art and resin. It has been a learning experience because I taught myself how. In this blog I wish to share my experience, successes and failures with you. 

I am an experiencer. For a long time, I never left my comfortable home of Buffalo. I studied art history and while all the paintings, architecture, sculptures were pretty, it was something that needed to be memorized for a test. I didn’t understand the importance of each artwork until I saw them. I love visiting galleries wherever I travel. Not just the big museums filled with so much history, but the small, quiet galleries with local artists. These people are so important (not just because I am one of them). But art is a passion that keeps you up at night. It changes your way of looking, feeling and calms your mind. We need to support these people in our communities, schools and everywhere else. 

My name is Jacki LaRocque.

I am an artist from Buffalo, NY. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Art Education from State University of New York College at Buffalo and a New York State Teacher Certification in Art Education (K-12). I have been an Elementary Art Teacher for three years!

I come from a creative family. Some of my favorite memories are sitting at the kitchen table while my mother painted flowers (something I still can’t do as well as her to this day). My father, a man of many talents, kept my creative eye open by throwing old parts from cars, motorcycles and who knows what else on the ground and saying, “What do you see?” Being a young child, I would see so many solutions. And as easy as that, my father would find some way to weld it together and make it come alive. I am beyond thankful for my creative and supportive family that has encourage and critiqued me along the way to be the best that I can be.

Art for me has become part of my healing process. It has helped me get through grief and loss but more importantly given me strength, confidence, happiness, and a sense of accomplishment. Even though my personality is bright and bubbly, my artwork tends to portray a darker experience. My belief is that my artwork is my way of coping with things that bother me. Throughout experimenting with mediums, I have found myself consistently interested in two subjects; portraiture and animals. Each piece has its own significance to my life. Even so, I like the viewer to share their interpretations. Every one experiences life differently but we can all be connected through art.