Tina Ousley is a contemporary Appalachian artist residing and working in Salyersville, Kentucky. Ousley, a native of Eastern Kentucky, received a Masters of Science Degree in Biology, with a research emphasis in Microbiology, from Morehead State University in 2004. Ousley has taught Human Anatomy and Physiology and Microbiology courses for 19 years at Big Sandy Community & Technical College and has an infinite passion for both art and biology.

“Art and science certainly have unique differences, but at their essence, they can both seek to answer questions about, or express ideas and concepts related to the natural world and the living organisms that inhabit it. In many ways, both follow a somewhat structured and creative process. Biology allows me to remain grounded in an analytic reality of observations and facts whereas art opens the door to an expressive world of magic and enchantment. As a biologist, I am fascinated with the interactions that take within a cell that make life possible. There is a world inside each cell and a beauty to each pathway and molecular interaction. As an artist, I feel the dynamic beauty in which the line, color, textures, and shapes interact and the emotions that inspire or result from each. There is a parallel between the worlds of art and science and my paintings are merely an expression of how they merge and coexist for me.”

ARTIST’S STATEMENT
For me, the act of making art is a very intimate and a completely magically immersive experience. Each painting starts with a stimulus; a color, a line, an image or a texture, all tied to a very personal event, emotion, idea or memory. I rarely approach my work with a predetermined conclusion, but choose rather, to engage in a dialogue between the shapes, textures, and colors, with no definitive destination. I embrace the images as they form or evolve on the canvas and allow them to tell my personal stories. Images: stairs, windows, roses, steeples, floating figures, defining images from my life, are common motifs in my paintings. Bold lines define and separate form, bringing balanced order from unstable chaos.

I am not interested with the representation and the reproduction of a literal image, but in referencing elements of the natural world to express the gloriously overwhelming emotions tied to the splendors and tragedies encountered on life’s journey. I work primarily with oil paints because they represent a boldness and permeance that contrasts with the fleeting fragility of life. Oils lend themselves perfectly to layering and blending to create diversity in color and texture, while still allowing vulnerable expression.

Although it is important that the formal elements culminate into a cohesive body of work, the relationship between each color, image and texture independently conveys a connection and emotion to the viewer. As a collective body of work, they act as a harmonious record of, or silent witness to, life experiences.

The images, colors, textures, and lines that unfold on the canvas, are an expression of memories, experiences, and ideas not defined by boundaries of science or constraints of society. Although each painting expresses my personal stories and the emotions to which they are tied, the viewer has freedom to embark upon their own journey as they interpret each artwork with their own stories and associations.

Tina Ousley
Professor of Biology and Artist