A display of artworks by Lily Cain
June 19 – July 29
Opening reception July 7

I have always believed my most valuable qualities have been fueled by an emotional understanding articulated through imagination and creative instincts. I was raised in a family centered in the arts – my mother, an artist and teacher; my father, a shipwright; my sister, a design strategist. Our love language is making.

Originally from San Diego, CA, I received my undergraduate degree in Printmaking and Painting from Sonoma State where I was technically trained in painting and drawing under Kurt Kemp. I went on to obtain my MFA from the Royal College of Art in London, England, in Printmaking under the mentorship of Mark Hamstead, Jo Stockham, and James Dyson. I've settled down now on the Western Slope of Colorado.

I find that I collect things I'm drawn to from memory or attraction that stems from life. There is a fantastical biodiversity that happens within the building blocks of my work, how the soil and stone of ideas connect to one another. Each of the insects, wildlife, colorful atmospheres, and negative spaces work together in ecosystems, like an intricate web, to maintain balance and support an emotional psychology that is being crafted. I think currently there is too much emphasis put on exceptionalism and individualism in the arts. Always trying to promote how you are special, an individual style. I don't believe making is about that. It’s about learning and experiences – learning how to deconstruct the elements to find connections. Everything has a behavior and rhythm and energy to it. That’s what stimulates memories and focus. For instance, there is a rhythm to how the wind blows or how we slump in a chair (or on a rainbow), and if you could capture the essence of that sound or feeling and mimic it in the visualization – that is essentially the energy I strive for behind my making, my love language I want to share.

There is a rhythm to how the wind blows or how we slump in a chair (or on a rainbow), and if you could capture the essence of that sound or feeling and mimic it in the visualization – that is essentially the energy I strive for behind my making, my love language I want to share.

Image: Lily Cain, Bearbow