Artist Spotlight :: DeAnne Olguin Williamson

Welcome! Every Tuesday and Thursday Tonia Jenny, the 21 SECRETS Creative Director & Course Manager, interviews one of the talented teachers in our 21 SECRETS program for an Artist Spotlight.

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Hello Artful Maker!

Today’s Spotlight Artist is a 21 SECRETS “Master,” having taught for this community three times now. Welcome back, DeAnne Olguin Williamson! I loved learning that when she was invited for the first time to teach, she signed right up even though she had no idea how she would pull it off. As she said, trusting that because she felt excitement and fear alongside one another, she knew in her heart it was the right choice. DeAnne’s Face-Time lesson, Expressions of Truth, is all about finding your own truths through a balance of many layers. Let’s see what other truths she has to share with us.

Name a time you “felt the fear and did it anyway” with regards to art making.

The very first time Connie asked me to teach in 21 SECRETS, I had no idea how to do it. I had only just begun teaching art journaling and I had never taught online. I said “yes” and I had no idea how I was going to do it. I thought for sure she’d  find out I was a fraud since I didn’t know the first thing about teaching an online course. But, I just believed it was the right thing for me to do and I figured it out. When you put your mind to something you can achieve anything. Plus, I always trust that if something makes me excited and afraid at the same time, it’s something I need to do. I’m so glad I did. This is my third time teaching in 21 SECRETS.

How are the things you value most in life reflected in what you create?

I believe very strongly that women need each other. I believe that women possess so much strength and when they circle together, magical things happen. So the fact that my subject matter is women is really no surprise. I believe women need to find their own voice and I know art can help them to do that.

Name a time when the art you were creating inspired another area of your life.

I was always very passionate about wanting a circle of women in my life. And when I realized that my passion for art could create a space where women could find their inner voices, my two passions came together. Leading art journaling workshops has given me purpose and I hope that I’ve helped other women along the way find their purpose through art.

What is the one thing you hope we remember from your workshop?

I hope you remember that creating art is more about the process than about the final outcome. The journey of creating is where all the joy happens so don’t judge your art, just relish the peace and accomplishment you feel when you create.

What is your life mantra?

My life mantra is this: When you dwell in the past, you feel sad. When you dwell in the future, you feel anxious. Dwell in the present and you will always be able to find peace.

I hope this week finds you with many peaceful moments painting and discovering your own way of showing up for yourself through your creative practice.

About DeAnne

DeAnne Olguin Williamson is a mixed media artist living in Northern California. She grew up in the Mojave Desert town of Barstow, California and received her BA in Art from San Diego State University. She’s moved around the country quite a bit and now lives in Petaluma, California with her husband and two children. She focuses on mixed media art and also teaches art journaling workshops.

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DeAnne teaches Expressions of Truth in 21 SECRETS Face Time

This lesson is about learning to express emotion through depths of layered paint and collage. We will start abstractly, working with cut paper and paint, and then tighten up a portion of our work to portray a woman’s face. We will tie it all together with a combination of layer upon layer of abstract painting and collage. It will be about the relationship between figurative painting and abstract.