Artist Self Portrait

Thinking about shape, space and what lies between the evident shapes my art. When drawing, whether from nature, fantasy, and figure or constructing sculpture I wonder. "What is this?" "What's missing?", "What is attracting?"

As a child I disliked school's interference with my reading and drawing. While I did not understand how to play, things and ideas drew me. I drew in class, I hid in my plum tree with a book or crayolas, my notebooks were covered with doodlings. High school, college and workshops taught me school was a place to stretch. As an adult I mounted a 4' x 8' sheet of dryrock on a kitchen wall for our three children to graffiti. I created my home as a workplace and studio. Our children Mark, Carolyn and Andrew with their friends used our space to create. Today, my studio and home are still open to family and our friends.

Studying at Washington University in St. Louis Mo, I found the Barry Commoner Environmental Science class complimented my participation in the Coalition for the Environment. Hearing the leaders in that young environmental movement reinforced my beliefs and intuitive concerns about toxic chemicals and environmental abuses. In 2007 I served as panelist on Earth Days for St. of MO Dept of Interior. My subject was Reducing Volatile Organic Compounds in the Home. My article of that name was published by Dept of Interior, St. of Mo., 2007.

Selected Recent Art Study:

Chinese Ink Painting 2009
Oil painting with Victor Wang 2009
Getty Museum Art Teacher Exchange
Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, IL
Oxbow Summer Institute, Saugatauk, MI
Frogman’s Press, Vermillion, SD
UMSL, St. Louis, MO
Painting with Acrylics, Sakagamundhi Artist’s Guild, NY, NY
Craft Alliance Gallery, St. Louis, MO
The Painter’s Light, Jerusalem, Israel.

My work with common or interesting found objects showcase hidden beauty, distortions and ugliness. Often my work reflects political or environmental issues by pairing castoffs typically not related. Serendipity often reveals connections. I'm particularly interested in patterned or woven discards that create senses of space or timelessness.

Materiality in symbols were a priority in "CARRIAGE NOT CARNAGE", one of my "ISSUES" Series (HOME and FOUND OBJECTS) created for Vice President Joseph and Dr. Jill Biden. That work was triggered by Bidens' capacity to construct reasonable proposals of non acceleration to address conditions in Iraq. His pragmatism and Dr.Jill Biden 's commitment to public education contrast strongly to glitterati of words, illusions and programs that fail the neediest. Gilded tongues and monuments contrasting to unfunded programs that failed as safety nets dictated my idea. The brass mesh carriage, brass framework, glass and stones found me.

An avid reader in childhood, comic books' art, story and adventure were especially delicious avenues of escape for me. Super Woman, the Classics, Namora, and Captain Marvel were daily companions, while Sunday's "Prince Valiant" enthralled me by putting faces to history. I suspect my characters in my comic strip, "BETWEEN BOOKS and BALLS", reflect my old pull between reading and playing with my friends. Ketzi the kitty and Mom are in conflict, Ketzi needs to play ball, while Mom has work to do.

After selling a business and donating all my business suits I felt at home in my studio life. This week, my friend described my feelings. "The glow hasn't worn off". While I'm cautious about adding activities, I've recently added:

August, 2009,  Jewish Federation of St. Louis website featured article on Hyman's philosophical approach to art.
2009 - I've joined Facebook.  Befriend me on Facebook
2009 - Back at  Tai Chi! Feels great!
2009 - Volunteer- Delmar Harvard Comics club
2009 - Parent of Chester, 3 year old rescue Chesapeake Bay Retriever
2009 - ABC Women Artists
2009 - Lifelion