Artist Interview: Karmym

Matsyendrasana - 2010

What is your name: My real name is Markus Meier but as artist I use the name Karmym. My real name is still very common in Switzerland but in about 50 years I'm sure there will be not so much people with this name left :-) Karmym was the name of my first email account.

Do you have a formal art education or are you a self taught artist: I'm a self taught artist over the last 10 years. I've learned a lot from orther artists I met in facebook and myspace but the most important teacher is the expierience of drawing, painting and experimenting with the colors I use.

What is the style of your pieces: All my paintings are very colorful and I try to combine figurative and spiritual elements in the paintings. I often use elements of sacred geometry in the background. This are basic geometric blueprints we can find in nature, on our bodies and was often used as symbols in earlier cultures.

What is the medium in which you work: acrylic paintings on caleria acrylic pad sheet 16×12 inch.

What started you on your path as an artist: It was the time of big changes in my live. I became a father and I wanted to change my lifestyle. Until then I went out nearly every night. I was a enthusiastic salsa dancer :-) But then I wanted to be with my family. First I only wanted to decorate the childrens room but then I got greater ambitions to fullfil my childhood dream to become an artist. Next to do art I rekindled my yoga and meditation practise and all this together is a good and inseparable combination.

What is one of the most important things that art has brought to your life: It is really difficult to break this down to only one thing. Through art I found much love and patience in creating images that come from inside
out. I want to use my art doing to explore myself and to study the meaning of life in general.

What is your favorite genre of art besides the one you work in: That's defently music. I even like music more than colors and if I had more time I would love to start an electronic music project :-)

Do you have art showings, and if so what are they typically like: No, I show my paintings, digitally mastered images and videos only in the net. Of course I'm happy to show my painting to friends or neighbors that visit us but there isn't much interest in my art locally :-) In the USA is lots of interest the art I do. Normally, lots of trends come form the USA to Europe 10 years later. So I will be ready to do an art show then.

Do you have a certain set of clothes you make art in: No :-) My paintings aren't so big so I don't run into danger to got color spots on my clothes. I just wear convenience clothes but I only convenience clothes anyway :-)

What has been the most frustrating part of being an artist? With every painting I have a period I feel that the result isn't as good as I hoped in the euphoric start. (Sonia: Me too!)  After all, most of the times I'm satisfied at the end but still the result isn't exactly the image I hoped to do in the beginning. Since one year I'm experimenting with digitally remastering of my paintings and try to come closer to the image I first planed to do.

What is your favorite sandwich of all time: My favorite sandwiches are the ones my wife makes me everydays to take to work. I love fresh crunchy bread, cheese, salat and some selfmade salat souce in it.

Has this year brought about any changes in your work, and if so what are they: The year began not so good. I wanted to bring more quality in to my paintings from the beginning of this year. The last paintings of last year I didn't done much experimenting but done some good paintings in my valid painting style. But the first three paintings this year were good but not so special than I hoped. Then suddently I got a invitation to be part of the visionary artist collective (http://visionaryartgallery.weebly.com/karmym.html) and this was the initiation point I could bring more scenery, more phantasie in the last paintings. I think this is the way to go further.

Who is your favorite artist alive or dead: Oh, it's very difficult to decide one artist. There are so many talented
wonderful artists. I choose Alex Grey because I think he is an important initiator of spiritual and psychedelic art.

What is the most moving piece of artwork that you have seen in person: The most moving art I only saw virtually in the internet and in the last years I didn't visit museums or art shows but I remember that I was very
impressed when saw 'Femme à tête de roses' from Salvador Dalí in 'Kunsthaus Zurich' :-)

Do you have any animals, and what do they think of your work: We had two rats, unfortunately one of them just died some weeks ago. rats are very intelligent and social animals. they can't speak but they communicate with their eyes. unfortunately they have a weak visual sense but with their eyes they told me that they like the colorful spots on the wall. Gipsy, the rat, want's to use this possibility to tell everyone that animals has a soul too, they experience much more feelings than humans suppose them to.

Do you have any upcoming exhibitions you would like to share with us: I exhibit my art works every day, day and night on my facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/karmymart