Genece Hamby

Biography

In 2008, I left a consulting practice in order to pursue a fine art career. As a "pure" digital painter in the strictest sense, I focus on traditional drawing and painting using a computer, Wacom tablet, Corel Painter, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop. Pure digital painting differs from other forms of digital art in that it does not involve the computer rendering from a model or painting onto an existing photograph or scanned image. Digital painting from scratch has the same excitement and creative magic as painting onto canvas with oils or acrylics. It requires the same connection that is between the intuitive self and hand/eye coordination. Prior to 2008, I spent 30 years as a branding and marketing consultant to technology companies. Packaging design and brand identity were my specialties, using my artistic talent and graphics skill to create effective packaging which promoted brand integrity and helped ensure premium product positioning in the marketplace. I started selling my art in 2009 through art festivals and gallery exhibitions & representation. Art critics, collectors and others that see my art have a first impression that they are acrylics or oil paintings. A part of my signature style is that my art is produced onto museum grade canvas and stretched with 1.75" gallery wrap. Once the paintings are produced, I hand embellish each piece to maintain the integrity of the originality and then is sold in small limited editions of 50.

Artist Statement

Art is my sanctuary. I am moved to paint the essence of stillness, beauty and grace that exists in all things. I am driven to paint; to empty out. The uniqueness of my work reflects the “beauty” that speaks to me; that deeply moves me. I don't begin with a clear view of “what” I will paint. The work reveals itself piece by piece as I paint in the harmony of color, line, and balance until the profoundness of a theme emerges. Once the image surfaces, every brush stroke adds shapes, values, textures, movement and mood to the narrative. When the painting is complete, it calls the observer to look closer; to experience its meaning through the heart. I love creating colorful art full of life and vibrancy. Typically, I will build a painting’s subject matter in the reverse. I create the painting’s subject by concentrating on the image’s negative space. For example, I begin with the sky that surrounds the tree and continue from that point.

Art Education

Besides thousands of hours learning and practicing to develop digital art and painting skills, I've taken professional workshops and classes. A few of them include: Painter Creativity Workshop, 2008, Jeremy Sutton, Instructor D’artiste Digital Painting, Digital Artists Master Class Series, 2008 Digital Painting Workshop, 2007, Bert Monro, Instructor Adobe Photoshop Workshops, 1995-2008 Corel Painter X Workshops, 2006-2008 Digital Painting Classes, Videos, Tutorials, 1995-2008 with Digital Painting Master Artists (i.e., Jeremy Sutton, Jesse van Dijk, Linda Bergkvist, John Wallin, Philip Straub and Robert Chang)

Awards

Though I have won a few art festival awards in graphics/printmaking category, my greatest achievement has been the number of galleries and collectors that have contacted me recently as a result of my art being showcased in American Style Magazine's 2009 fall issue.