Visions of a lonely girl...

       

A few years back, I was living in Saratoga Springs, or maybe hiding out would be more accurate. I was substitute teaching during the days and waitressing during the evenings and weekends. I had just run away from a particularly rough patch in my life. I was wrecked. I was broken. I was trying to recover, reflect and reassess. During this time, I was experiencing a lot of moments of solitary loneliness. It was also during this time that I was first introduced to Etsy, which I ♥, and the art work of Kendra Binney. 

I immediately connected with her haunting images. The sadness and wistful despair of her subjects deeply affected me. Her style spoke to me and the colors in her work cried out to me. I had to have it. I spent days figuring out which reproductions I wanted, which ones would work in my collection. I settled on five pieces and made my purchase. It was the first time I had ever purchased real art before (while they were reproductions of paintings, they were also personally made by the artist). I couldn't wait for them to arrive!

Years later, I still have the pieces hanging on my wall. Kendra no longer has a shop on Etsy, but still sells her work through her website. It seems she has become quite established and has moved on to bigger and better things (I'm grateful I discovered her early on as the price for her reproductions have doubled, in some cases, tripled since I made my purchase). Her work opened my eyes to a whole world of art I had never been exposed to before, Contemporary Art. And I'm talking about real contemporary art. Art that real people are making in real time. Her work moved my knowledge of art forward, and I haven't looked back (sorry, "Master's," but your art is soooo last century).

Congratulations on all your success, Kendra, and thank you for introducing me to a new world of art and expression.

 

on display in my room

They Can Do As They Wish, 2006

 

This Place is Full of Lost Monsters, 2006

Empty, 2006

Dream of Being Underwater, 2006

Lie, 2006

Please take a moment to check out Kendra Binney's website. Her worked has evolved over the years since my purchases and it really shouldn't be missed.