Terry jumped right in when I offered to interview ArtOMatic artists.  You have to admire that – and as a business person, I do!  It is important for us artists to understand that promoting ourselves is part of the gig of being an artist.  So, without further ado, here is Terry in her own words.

How many ArtOMatics have you done, and if more than 1, what keeps you coming back?

Not only is this my first Artomatic, but this is the first time I have ever shown my art publicly. I have been creating art for decades and have long wanted to throw my hat in the ring, but it took my 24 year old daughter [Lindsey Sitz]registering to give me the extra kick to do it myself.  Somehow it became a no brainer…although I felt  sheer terror initially,  exhilaration soon set in.  What has been a very pleasant surprise is the very strong sense of community of artists that exists around Artomatic.  I have met some wonderful creative spirits.  While this is my first, this will not be my last.

Describe what you’ll be showing this year. How did you choose what to show at ArtOMatic?

In the past year, I have been creating pieces of art that are of handmade paper on clayboard.  At first glance they appear to be painted, but they are “cut outs”… a la Matisse cut outs–he actually coined the phase, “painting with scissors.”  My exhibit is entitled “Mantras” and it is a collection of artworks and accompanying mantras in the art that are words that spur me on, push me through tough times and inspire me.  Right after I decided to do Artomatic, I created a piece I call “Grow A Pair.”  It is a nude woman, front and center–a metaphor for the journey I was about to undertake in revealing the intimacies of my artwork.

Why should a visitor make a special trip to visit your space?

First, the 9th floor is  full of VERY talented artists–I have been so impressed, so please make it to 9.  My work is a reflection of a bold, personal journey–it’s been very therapeutic for me and hopefully inspiring for my visitors. I have snippets of Rumi poetry mixed in with lots of yoga and other things that are big in my life. I’ve also created a wall where visitors can share the mantras that they live by–and I am hoping I will have a few that are shared that inspire new works of art for me.Lot’s of people are contributing to the mantra wall and it’s fun to read.

Also, my daughter is on 9, space 150…she has done a really interesting project called the Moments Project where she collected significant moments from peoples’ lives, illustrated them and then created a stop action animation film with them.  So with all that in mind, how could one not visit the 9th floor and stop by and see us?

How long have you been making art?  What do you do when/if you hit a slump?

I have been creating art all my life. I have morphed in different mediums and had most recently worked with fused glass–not the easiest medium for creating a portrait.  It was not spontaneous enough for me and I found paper really addressed my need for greater fluidity and spontaneity.  I will go months sometimes when I don’t create something, but I am always aware that my unconscious seems busy at work exploring something and then it bursts forth. I have learned to trust my unconscious.  I also do that while I am creating. Lately my mantra during my art is not to question if something will look ok, but to do what is fun or brings me joy–it hasn’t let me down in my choice of colors or subjects and actually has really made my work much more vibrant and edgy.  I have also found yoga to be an amazing muse to my work.

Who are your favorite artists and what inspiration do you draw from them?

Matisse is my favorite–I also enjoy Gauguin, Modigliano, Picasso–I like their boldness and their willingness to take risks.

Have you had a chance to look around ArtOMatic yet this year?  Do you have any instant favorites?  any returning favorites?

I have only just begun to explore Artomatic, but the first night I bought a painting from Cris Ianculescu–I love the spirituality that comes through in his work and his wonderful technique.  I liked Gary Irby’s masks a lot.  There is an artist that did Facebook Profile picture portraits that I enjoyed and Jacqui Crocetta has some wonderful paintings…Jeff Boodman’s photography is awesome and John Grunwell’s mural is gorgeous.

Where else can we see your work?