Many believe every child is an artist; the challenge is to stay an artist as one grows up. In the life of a mixed media artist and author of OK, Little Bird, Deena Goldstein, she has managed to hold on to that creative edge and inspirational sport since childhood. Deena credits her mother for instructing her in drawing techniques and her father for the love of all things defined by the Western spirit. Deena recalls, "My appreciation for all things reclaimed, vintage, and of course, Western is all by my dad's example." She goes on to explain, "I've always been creative in some capacity, drawing, writing, or even doing standup comedy."
The early pivotal ah-ha moment for Deena came in elementary school when a teacher didn't appreciate Deena's coloring Santa's suit in purple. "From that point on, I knew I was not going to be following anyone else's 'creative expectations,' which is somewhat of an oxymoron anyway!" She stuck with that independent streak into college, graduating from the University of South Florida with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, which set Deena off on an inspirational career path working in marketing/PR, graphic design, writing poetry, and illustration. On the side, she explored painting classes, teaching herself various techniques. Deena adds, "I'm inspired by life and the journey we are on. I find inspiration in stories, people, situations, and feelings. I love to capture unexpected moments in that journey."
Deena founded Pop Art Pets, a custom process in which she creates a work of pop art from a photograph of your pet or any other photograph you may want to memorialize with her creative application. She works from her in-home studio, where she has any number of projects going in a variety of media. Her clients come to her by word of mouth and referrals, creating a borderless network of collectors across the globe. Deena's eclectic approach keeps her busy painting landscapes, creating western pieces, or something ethereal; it just depends on what catches her interest and fires up the inspiration.
"Don't change; you're perfect the way you are."
"Recently, with the passing of my father, I took the inspiration of my incredible, quirky relationship to paper in the form of a memoir, OK, Little Bird." She goes on to explain, "I hope readers will find a connection in the universal topics of special relationships. Particularly navigating a terminal diagnosis of a loved one, using humor to move through the process, and the heartfelt takeaways along the journey." Deena credits her father for his gift of humor. Both parents instilled, "Don't change; you're perfect the way you are," as a guiding tenet in Deena's life. In OK, Little Bird Deena's gift to readers is to share this important message as a universal, self-acceptance message.
According to the book notes, "OK, Little Bird is set in the world of three siblings who experience the same father differently as they navigate stringent rules, cantankerous family dinners, unfiltered commentaries, and lots of love. Everything is funny until a seemingly invincible father succumbs to a terminal illness amidst the Covid19 pandemic. Little Bird sets out to make things OK for her father one last time." Take the journey into the creative world of artist and author Deena Goldstein and discover hope, joy, and renewal along the way.
Email: deegold710@gmail.com
Website: www.deenasart.com
Comments