Hagit Y.

For me art is life.

When did you start painting?

I have been painting for over 20years. I have always been drawn to painting - since I was a child. But only began when I was around 25. I was inspired by color. I have always been drawn to color.

What is your process when creating?

Creating my art is time consuming and requires total focus. I love being exact and my art allows me to do that. It is meticulous work. It is me, alone with my simple art tools immersed in the process. Each of my works of art takes me 2-3 months. Some people think it is a stencil or machine but it is all hand work. For years I worked in accounting and programming computers. I guess my art is the creative, colorful expression of a side of me that I touched with numbers and coding. For me art is life.

What does art mean to you?

Art is freedom. Total freedom. Freedom is really important to me. Perhaps the reason I have no children or husband is because I have always cherished my freedom.
I have PTSD and manic depression and the style of art I focus on takes me away from the noise of life, away from the place in me that is noisy to a space in myself that is quiet and peaceful - it is almost meditative. It opens a place where I can have a break from the pace of life and just create in a way that expresses the feelings within me. In fact, my inspiration is within me. The art draws me in and allows me to experience life in a different atmosphere.