My Background
I had a long career in data science, economics and administration and am unlikely to ever become a professional artist or interior designer. I’m OK with that. I was raised by a family mix of fine artists and applied scientists. They shared a profound respect and appreciation for each other, with the fundamental belief that the arts could not flourish without a meaningful connection to science and visa versa. In essence, art was viewed as a need:
A Life Without Art Is No Life At All
Allison M. Rosenbaum, 2016.
This background led me to appreciate that art and ecology are inseparable. As a systems analyst, I was convinced that we existed within Nature, rather than outside our protective bubble, as adrift observers. Artistic expression continues as a critical social motivator; it helps us explore and reflect upon the meaning of life, as well as our place in the natural world.
Like me, you may believe that art situates us:
- – in both time and space;
- – in history and in geography;
- – through subject selection and
- perspective;
- – through material choice and
- function;
- – in both built and integral environments;
- – through design and colour choice;
- – through sharing and influence.
My Inclinations
Like many others, I’ve had retail experience and acquired basic skills in material and style choice and coordination. At home, I focused on garden design, sewing and fashion, and furnishing and décor.
I realized early on that my artsy friends enjoyed a spontaneity which I did not. If they shared an art class with me, they ran off to put more paint to canvas. The very last thing they wanted to do was to sit down in front of a computer
Instead, I scurried off to find reference books, research data, analyses and magazines, to understand more about what I just created or could create. I couldn’t simply enjoy doing art without wondering about its accuracy or how colour choices, physics and psychology played into alternate interpretation.
