Marita Brookley

I am drawn to nature and to everyday objects. Growing up in Florida, I was immersed in a tropical world, a fertile environment, life bursting forth from every niche – a joy for a nerdy kid fascinated with insects, animals and plants. I learned curiosity, observing closely and seeing nature as both beautiful and cruel. As light strikes a form, the color revealed, and the shadows created, is a delightful surprise and endlessly fascinating. Since childhood I’ve loved art and making things. In my work, nature’s images and everyday objects represent states of mind, points along life’s journey, beauty, absurdity and darkness. Living creatures appear to uncannily mirror humans so they’re as personification. Nature’s discards, a shell once home to a living creature now tossed and worn by the sea, is evidence of a life begun, lived, ended. People’s objects are transformed over time through use and wear, imbued with history and energy, adopting characteristics of their owners. They continue to travel through time, becoming metaphors. My vignettes have significance beyond arrangement for interest and beauty. I find deep meaning in earth’s living forms and artifacts, reminders of the natural order, the power of the universe and spirituality in nature: the life cycle, transformation, time, renewal, impermanence. Symmetry exists among the cosmos, individual life, from the dragonfly nymph casing to a beloved keepsake. My art reflects my world view: wonder, bemusement and a sense of humor

I was born in Dayton, Ohio but we moved often because my father was in civil service. I grew up in Florida, then moved to Ohio for high school and first years of college. I came to New Mexico in 1976, grew to love the subtle beauty of the desert and it became my true home. I attended the University of New Mexico, earning my BFA in Studio Arts and MA in Art Education. I taught for many years in New Mexico schools. My teaching career was a gift which allowed me to practice my skills, keep current with trends and ideas, research artists and art history and best of all, to share art with the students. After retiring from teaching, I was a personal trainer and fitness instructor, a good fit because of my love for being active and being outdoors. Now I focus on my art practice, oil painting. I also enjoy drawing, ceramics and mixed media. Just like my childhood self, I love spending hours just “making stuff.”

2-D, Collage/Mixed Media, Painting (all materials)