Painting for me, is a nostalgic descent back to my childhood - a time when dolls were a huge part of my life. Today is not altogether different. I think of my paintings as play sets where I dress my dolls up and create their own environment. Sometimes this “land” is a sweet setting of animals, nature, and innate innocence while others are captivated by a mysterious engulfing darkness. I can relate. Memories of playtime and my special collection of “neat stuff” that I kept in a wooden trunk made specially for me by my uncle were treasures to me. Baby doll heads, vintage dolls, sweet scents of everything yummy are areas of great inspiration. Artists such as Mark Ryden, Joe Sorren, and Casey O’Connell also capture my heart with a sweet tenderness encompassing subtle moments of time we all would like to revisit; a dream state so unique one could only wish to take part. I truly believe that what you love doing when you are 7 will mold your lifelong passions, and finding a way to express these passions is a dream I never want to awaken from. My journey as a child through drawing and play set design, then to makeup artistry has led me to a point of ultimate escape back into the little girl I will always be.

Originally from Batesville, Arkansas, now currently living in Maumelle, my journey has led me to UALR to pursue an art degree with an emphasis in painting.

Mindy Lacefield