~ Jayne Somogy--who signs her work as "Somogyi," the ethnically-correct spelling of her Hungarian surname--was born and raised in Ohio, attended college in Indiana & Wisconsin as an art/theatre major, lived most of her life in Los Angeles, and "retired" in 2008 to Conyers, Georgia after a long career as an administrative assistant, legal secretary, proofreader, & graphic artist. But her heart was always in the arts, and that's how much of her free time was spent--acting, singing, dancing, drawing, designing, often on a semi-professional level and earned an additional degree in fashion design from FIDM.
~ Jayne has had a lifetime love affair with the exotic--people, places, objects, music--and her favorite artistic subjects are people, and most especially, people she is never likely to meet--interesting but for the most part anonymous figures from the past who serve to define their particular time and place; individuals from the dwindling tribes of indigenous people in places she has never been; and those unique folks that many consider to have been "freaks of nature" because they didn't look like the rest of us. And because she has been an entertainer all her life, she particularly loves portraying dancers from every discipline and every part of the globe, but most especially belly dancers, her own chosen form of dance. All these individuals are rendered with love, a lightness of touch, a sense of humor, and from a sensitive soul-space that evokes a positive response from the viewer.
~ Jayne works in acrylics, pastels, charcoal, art markers, ink, colored pencil, sometimes adds fabric or collage elements, and has a fine attention to detail and an adventurous approach to color.
~ Originals from XanaduGallery.com, SaatchiArt.com and ArtsyHome.com.
~ Jayne has recently added hand-beaded small accent pillows to her collection. Many utilize her artwork, which is printed onto cotton fabric, then beaded and jeweled and sewn into small pillows. Her beading expertise comes from a number of years making highly decorative, beaded belly dance costumes for herself and others. Find her pillows in her etsy.com store, RaqsRags, or at XanaduGallery.com and ArtsyHome.com.
***Artist Statement***
To me, beauty and truth are everything, and they equal love which, metaphysically and spiritually speaking, is all there is. I strive for beauty, harmony and peace in every facet of my life and, by extension, in my art. I love beautifully curving lines and bright gorgeous colors in unusual combinations, and precise detail. I have had a lifetime affair with the exotic—people, places, objects, music—and I have the soul of a gypsy, traveling through time and space by way of books, television and the internet in order to inform myself about life, and the customs, history, environment and appearance of its fascinating, diverse inhabitants—past, present and future—so that I can present them to you, preserving indigenous cultures as they used to be or before they disappear. I have always been accepting of every type of human—regardless of gender or sexual identity, age, religion, ethnicity, color or race—as long as that human is kind and practices the Golden Rule—and I love drawing all of them! My style is whimsical and has been described as being “informed” which I consider a great compliment. I hope my sense of humor also comes through in my work because . . . well, because life is just . . . FUNNY!