Maggie

"I was going through my life blindly, trying to be a real grown-up, trying to have a 'real' job, and trying to prove that I was worthy. I ended up in a marketing position, stuck analyzing statistics. It was definitely not as glamorous as I had imagined. I was so in over my head. After a while, I realized I just couldn't do it anymore. I had to get out, and I did. For the first few months, I was depressed, lost, and just clueless. But then I decided that I had to start making art again, whether it was a 'real' job or not. I found this studio, this room, and it's become my safe place, where I come to search and heal. I moved into The Art Factory in December of last year and the moment I put charcoal to canvas, I was revived.

"When I escape into my work, I can create the reality that I choose. I'm able to play. That's what I did as a child, but I lost sight of that because I had a lot of ideas about what an artist was supposed to be and I never felt like I could measure up. But I decided to make art the way I want to, and it feels right. It feels like what I'm supposed to be doing. A friend used to say to me, 'If you don't do art, you will die.' I think that for me, I think that's true."

Maggie Russell has a studio at The Art Factory.  More about Maggie and her work at:

• http://www.mrussellart.com 
• http://instagram.com/mrussellart 
• http://www.kpfusion.com/2014/03/07/artists-to-know-maggie-russell/

The Art Factory, located at 777 S. Cox (near Central BBQ on Central Avenue in Midtown), will have an Open House on Thursday, November 6, 2014, from 5-8 pm.  If you're shopping for Christmas gifts, this will be a great opportunity to find some uniquely beautiful gifts: pottery, paintings, hand-crafted jewelry, etc.

Back to HOME