I'm what I like to call a 'mood artist'; I have to be 'in the mood' to create something I think is amazing. So I can be honest and say that when given the task of creating a piece, it takes me a little longer, but in the end you have something truly amazing, a masterpiece. Something I can call perfect and you know the saying, "you are your own worst critic".

I have been drawing for as long as I can remember. I've always drawn doodles on any paper I could get my hands on. Whenever there was a drawing contest at school, I would always be involved. One year my church had a little carnival, and I volunteered as the face painter. For practice, I would draw animals out of the encyclopedia. I never took a real art class until I entered high school, where by the end of four years, I had taken any art class available and two independent studies. A lot of the work you see on the site is from some of those classes. During my school years, I entered work into the Holly Springs Women's Club art contest where I won second place on my 'Refrigerator Woman'. I entered my 'Desert Person' into the North Carolina State Fair, and also the Fuquay-Varina Women's Club Art Contest.

A lot of my works are done in soft pastel, paint, or just plain pencil, although I really enjoy creating pieces done is unusual materials or done in unusual ways. My guitar picture, for example, was done in hole-punched dots, all out of Rolling Stone magazines. My fish book was created using aluminum flashing and random nuts and washers. I normally go for the realistic look, and take great lengths in trying to make it look like a photograph, but enjoy creating abstract works of art. I would someday like to try my hand at glass blowing (like my favorite artist Dale Chihuly), or maybe learning how to weld and create some metal sculptures. I will be sure and post any new creations on the site.

I know my name, or works, may never be used in the same sentence as some of my art influences, such as Chihuly, Van Gogh, Estcher and Picasso, but I just want someone to see a drawing by GalinaMarie and think "Wow, that's amazing!"

I thank my Dad for always believing in my abilities and for pushing me to quit being lazy and to do something with my gift.

Take a look at my gallery to see what you think....