Ilene is a mixed media artist. Her work is narrative and colorful, often incorporating found images and materials. She is a lifelong creative who believes that the integration of art into everyday lives improves the quality of living. A recipient of the 2017 Albuquerque Local Treasure award, access to art drives her involvement in community.
Artist Statement
I am a life-long artist. In the past, I earned my living as a seamstress and toy maker. A love of fabric, its malleability and patterning, informs my work as a painter.
Layers and colors, along with the absence of a temporal anchor in my work, serve to challenge the viewer while welcoming them in. Combining paint, collage materials, stencil and drawing, I work with impulsive thoughtfulness.
My informing subjects and imagery are often found in domestic objects; their expression, however, depends on the alchemy of the materials. For this reason, the work often includes items salvaged from everyday life. As a self- taught artist, my work is somewhat naïve and quite personal, and seems to speak to many who view it in a personal way as well.
As social creatures, we are products of our environments and our passions. While I do not have a formal arts education, I have learned from working artists through classes, camaraderie, and observation. Creativity sustains me and, in turn, I make it my mission to return the favor.
