Tulsa Community College Center for Creativity
Last night was the opening of the Curiosity exhibition at the Thomas K. McKeon Center for Creativity at Tulsa Community College. This exhibition was inspired by the book I Never Thought of It That Way by Monica Guzman, which the TCC community has chosen as their common read. Last night’s reception was standing-room only, and was headlined by Mvskoke artist Johnnie Diacon. There was food, dancing, and a buzz of artists and their friends and supporters.
My piece is titled “Into the Deep”, and relates to the theme of curiosity in that I really believe that curiosity feeds creativity. When I sit down to paint, it is often my experiences that inform what I do. I love that I can re-live amazing moments, or maybe even dream about future moments through my art. A few years ago, my curiosity led me to discover SCUBA diving. (Shout out to the amazing Scuba Savvy dive shop in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma!) This piece revisits an encounter I had last fall with an Eagle Ray of the coast of Bonaire. I love rays!
When I am diving, I find such a sense of peace and calm. You really have to be present in the moment. I painted this at a time when there was a lot going on in my life, and I was trying to tap into that peace and calm. There is a SCUBA mantra divers learn, which I am trying to adopt in and out of the water: “Stop. Breathe. Think. Act.” It’s important not to skip a step.
Keep breathing!
-Amy
Amy Lagers Studio 