Art & Life with Bobbie Mae Taylor Peterson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Bobbie Mae Taylor Peterson.

Bobbie Mae, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I started really to pursue my art because of my boyfriend. He knew I had a passion for creating things with color and my hands. I had to move back home with my parents after moving out at 17 years old with my boyfriend. Now both at the age of 20-21, and all because my health had declined to such a measure He couldn’t continue supporting the both of us financially. We had a great run in our 2 apartments, but by doing the right thing for the both of us, I did become depressed and lonely. My boyfriend, seeing me in this state, decided to encourage me to paint for fun, and if anything came from it great, just so I could have something to do with my time while dealing with my health. Little did I know I would be able to channel all of my feelings, emotions, and pain through spray paint cans! I now enjoy my time I spend at home, in the New River mountains with my 5 dogs and 5 cats and can acknowledge the blessing of life I do have. Now all I want to do is convey that amazing feeling of happiness and confidence into art for my Phoenix people.

Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I am the Classic Rock and Medical Marijuana Artist who creates abstract pieces with gravity and a can of paint.
I use to experiment with old cans of spray paint I found in the corner of my dad’s garage when I was about 13 years old. I got away from spray paint when I got into high school, moving out of my parents’ home, and then getting sick with Valley Fever, pneumonia, bronchitis and a blood clot in my lung, all in a matter of 2 years. Since the recovery stage of all those fun things that happened to my lungs, on top of my existing nerve pain, in the following 2 years, I’ve used my painting and mmj to structure my life back. With my art, it is an escape and expression of what I want to be doing physically, which is a lot, but can’t, so I use paint to show that. I experiment with colors and metallics, now with shapes and designs under the running colors. I’ve discovered a way to create the fun “cells” that can be found in fluid pour art. I try to embody the fluid art structure while using my own medium I much prefer and find better control over. Spray paint meets fluid art in a different concoction of my own internal world on to a canvas to share with others. My art is different and one of a kind each time I put paint to a canvas. I want people to feel that individuality when they look at my art. I hope to pull feelings out of people with color and the use of gravity in my paintings. Some may see a shape or an animal, a beach or a desert. That is the point of my art, it is each individual to those who look at it and can be whatever they want it to be.

Do you think conditions are generally improving for artists? What more can cities and communities do to improve conditions for artists?
Life is as it is, an artist as always must adapt to the environment in which we live in. I think with Social Media, there is a much larger populous we as artists can reach, however how many of those followers and likes are monetarily supporting an artist is another story. Exposure and a following is absolutely necessary in this day, I find it hard, however, for smaller artists to reach out to actual galleries when they are an Instagram Artist, as I am. I would like to see a more financially ambiguous option to show and expose our art physically to the art world, without pulling threads from my pockets to afford to have my art shown. Most artists all start struggling, I’d like an affordable outlet for [Us] to display our art to the Galleries and art dealers of Arizona. With that, I feel art could take a more prevalent step in our communities and give younger people an outlet to express their art without the expensive options not financially available to a lot of beginning and Local artists.

What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
My work is mainly on Instagram under my profile ArtbyBobbieMae formerly ArtbyBobbieSmash. There you can see most of my in progress works and older pieces. On Instagram you can find most of my art under the hashtag #fluidartmeetspraypaint

I have launched a Facebook page also under the name Art by Bobbie Mae. Through my Facebook page is where I would like to conduct all purchasing through PayPal or cash at this time. There I will also be focusing on finished pieces with a few of my newer in progresses shots.

For all business inquires, I work through my email bobbiesmash@yahoo.com. In the future, with more following and patronage, I will be launching a website from which my art will be able to be purchased directly from.

Contact Info:

• Email: bobbiesmash@yahoo.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artbybobbiemae/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artbybobbiemae/

Image Credit:
Bobbie Mae Taylor Peterson

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