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Emily Warren Make Believe

North Gallery - August 9 - October 3, 2010

Emily Warren
Emily Warren
Emily Warren weaves together various forms of art media to create a dream-like world in this exhibit, titled Make Believe. The line between reality and imagination is blurred as she manipulates old family photographs and magazine pictures with an ink-removing chemical and then enhances the images with watercolor, acrylic paint, and pen and ink. The photographs are taken out of their original context and cut and pasted into Warren's make believe world where the imagination takes over.

Make Believe by Emily Warren
Make Believe by Emily Warren
Warren says childhood is the most creative, curious, and carefree period of life and therefore, she often uses images of children in her artwork. Within the surreal environment she creates, the figures can have wings, touch stars, or anything the imagination allows. A whimsical spirit and energetic quality is constant throughout all of Warren's works.

Dancing Umbrellas by Emily Warren
Dancing Umbrellas by Emily Warren
"My artwork is about the collaboration of movement and energy of the figure within its environment," says Warren. "Each medium seems to weave together to tell a story." For Warren, the stories unravel on their own during the process of creating the art. She says the overall context of each piece is not predetermined because making art is more about the process for her. "I find myself being unable to see my work as a whole until my last stroke is completed."

Warren has lived in Oklahoma all her life. She grew up in Edmond and at a young age learned that a piece of paper and a crayon were just as good, if not better entertainment, than a toy or video game.

LIttle Prince by Emily Warren
LIttle Prince by Emily Warren
In high school, Warren was awarded Young Talent in Oklahoma and went on to graduate with a Bachelor's of Art from Oklahoma State University.

Since graduating, Warren has participated in numerous juried art shows including Brass Ring Awards, Oklahoma Watercolor Association's Juried Mixed Media Show, and the Girly Show. In addition, she regularly exhibits her artwork at local restaurants such as Caf? Nova, La Baguette bistro, Bolero, Broadway Wine Merchants, and Picasso's in the Paseo Arts District.