GINA MEAD

MEDIUM

Painting

ARTIST STATEMENT

“I find with my painting that I get into a zone. It’s a meditation and a journey where the layers, gestures, and materials become as vital as the finished painting.”

ARTIST BIO

Gina Mead is a visionary artist whose journey is as captivating as her artwork.

With a BFA from Indiana University and an MFA from Laguna College of Art and Design, Gina further grounded her education by studying landscapes, oceans, and skies; painting both en plein air and in her studio. Her interests shifted later on as she studied the New York painters of Abstract Expressionism for their freedom of expression and experimental styles. One of her biggest influences has been the work of Joan Mitchell, Elaine de Kooning, and Helen Frankenthaler—three very strong female artists of that era. The rebellious phase of abstract painting, exploring lines and fields of color, offered freedom from the known to the unknown for Gina. Yet abstraction was not enough to sustain her attention for long, compelling her to follow the journey toward light as it hits objects and creates atmosphere.

It’s the combination of representation and abstraction that has become the journey in Gina’s newest body of work.

“I found that I love to paint that vase and flower, but I do it on my terms now. I love the shifting of light on objects and atmosphere, bringing me into the journey of discovery. If I don’t want a certain perspective, I can shift it to what I delight in and uncover the experience in that process. I get to paint what I love to paint in the way that I want to paint.”

Intermingling traditional representation and abstract expression, Gina’s art transcends aesthetic beauty to become a reflection of her own journey of self-discovery and introspection. Her work leaves an indelible impression, offering a glimpse and inviting viewers to see the world through a new lens.