All in life is transient and therefore, to me, excruciatingly beautiful. My art is an attempt to capture a moment of life's constant movement before the moment changes. It is my way of telling the truth, of revealing all that is there, of celebrating and mourning the moment as it passes, and of recognizing the significance of how each moment gives birth to the next. Life is a symphony, and through my art, I strive to capture one fragment of a measure, with every note in that fragment included, as well as the lingering hint of past sounds leading up to the moment, and the promise of those that might come after.
I most often reach for the acrylic paint because it has an intensity and versatility that excites me, but I do not chain myself to one method of expression, and will use many different tools, including a camera, watercolors, pen and ink, pencil, intaglio printmaking, woodblock prints, and even embroidery in my attempt to communicate that which inspires me. The process for me is every bit as important as the outcome, and each method teaches me more about myself. Ultimately, every piece I create is in some way a self-portrait, for I cannot escape the subjective reality of my existence.
My favorite subject is that which I feel I understand the best - being human in the world as we know it today, and how we create that world. For me, being a human, a moment is a very heavy thing, weighted with conflicting emotions - hopes and fears, joy and despair, love and hate - and all the emotions that exist between and outside of those. Each of us interacts with the world through and with the cacophony of all of that going on, and every interaction with someone else is a meshing of realities. The moments I attempt to capture are recognitions of my own feelings mirrored in my subject. Integrity is the foundation of my art, for I cannot paint what I see if I do not know myself well enough to know what it is I am seeing.
photo by Elizabeth Laux
Biography
Andrea Potts began drawing at age 3, and has been an artist ever since. Refusing to box herself into a certain style or genre, she uses her art to express a multitude of emotions and ideas. Andrea Potts graduated from the University of California at Davis with a Major in Native American Studies and a Minor in Studio Art. The experience at UCDavis introduced her to intaglio and wood-cut printmaking. She became so enthralled with the grain of the wood she was cutting that she began to use wood as her canvas for her acrylic paintings. She utilizes this grain in her images, allowing each piece of wood to add to the painting, choosing carefully which piece will lend itself best to the image she wishes to render.
Primarily an acrylic painter, Andrea also uses many other methods such as photography, pen and ink, pencil, fabric, porcupine quills, and watercolor to express herself. Her art is unhindered by rules, boundaries, and censorship. Each piece is created with a kind of honesty that is rare and has a deep impact upon the viewer.
Andrea Potts has had solo shows in California, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Her work has been displayed in galleries in Napa, Davis, and Sacramento in California; in Rapid City, Hill City, and Mitchell, SD; and in Madison, WI. One of her pieces placed at a juried watercolor show hosted by the Northern Plains Watercolor Society. It was the only juried show she has entered.
Andrea Potts began playing music in 1986. She never intended to be a guitar player, but her first guitar was an extremely affordable $20 - much cheaper than the keyboard she wanted to buy. In 1989, she purchased a 12-string for $35 at a garage sale, and fell in love with the full sound of the instrument. She has been playing a 12 string ever since, and has written over 100 songs.
She has performed all over Northern California and the Midwest. She has played the Whole Earth Festival in Davis, CD two years in a row; at a benefit for Amnesty International in Davis, CA; at countless Women's Music Concerts in Northern California and South Dakota; at countless Singer/Songwriter showcases in SD and WI; has played for 7 years at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in multiple venues there, at the Deer Mountain Music Festival at Terry Peak, SD; at 5 of the benefit concerts for Gathering Of Eagles in Rapid City, SD; 4 times at the Daily Grind's Jamfest in Rapid City, SD; her band placed 3rd in Battle of the Bands at the Civic Center in Rapid City, South Dakota; and she performed with Chris Schiflett of the Foo Fighters on the steps of the Capitol in Madison, WI, during the union protests.
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