Miranda Crawford Leveque
Proper Art stuff!
I've always had a love for cartoons and comics for their ability to break visual and logical rules and make us think about the things that are not. In particular I sneak this love into my paintings by outlining most things in black marker to give them a more hand drawn effect. I also relish in the shape and curve of lines, often paying far more attention to these elements than more strict art techniques like perspective and scale. I put shadows where I think they look good rather than where the light source necessarily dictates, and I like to throw in bold patterns and textures rather than realistic backgrounds.
My painting style is very freeform. When an idea strikes me I try to paint immediately, sometimes for an entire day, and I usually finish a painting in one sitting. I hardly plan or sketch anything, making it all up as the mood strikes me, and playing off of each new element as it develops. At the end of the day I like to see a piece that is whimsical and happy and not too worried about the way things are 'supposed' to be.
Guess what? I hate taking pictures, so if you want to know what I look like, you'll have to settle for this crop of a wedding picture with my husband's beard in the corner, sorry!
Basic stuff!
I'm a native born Richmonder that now lives in Louisa (with all the bears and earthquakes) but still runs around the RVA every day where I work as a picture framer at Frame of Mind on Grove Ave. I would say that I'm a 90% self taught artist although I did spend a few years at VCU art school as a kinetics (animation) major.
Random stuff!
I'm a Leo, currently 32, and a crazy cat lady that loves pasta, cheese, and octopi (not to eat, just to love, I'm vegetarian). I'm terrified of spiders, clowns, and dolls, am currently attempting to learn fire spinning, and enjoy writing and binge watching cartoons. I'm asthmatic and therefore NOT athletic at all, have a strong interest in herbalism, and tend to love anybody with a big sense of humor that doesn't take life too seriously. The first thing I remember wanting to be as a child was a 'grocery store checker-outer' (I thought hitting all those buttons on the register was the coolest thing ever) but thankfully, according to old school papers, I switched to wanting to be an artist by about 3rd grade. And here we are! If you want to know any other completely random and unrelated nonsense, send me a message and maybe I'll start an FAQ section.