Heaven is Dark by RJ Derby in Northam

I'm an Australian Digital Artist/Illustrator. I first began filling my computer screen with colour when I was 24. I'm now 44 so I've been zipping around, creating artwork with a mouse for 20 years now. From a very young age, I found myself fascinated by both the emotions of people and the nature of the human mind. I began drawing what I saw in strangers faces and eyes, even the way their smile seemed fake when their eyes told another story. I suppose you might think I was a bit of a creepy child – sitting there, staring intensely at complete strangers. I suppose I was. But, what you see is quite remarkable. The way triumph can quickly become corroded into a mixture of distress, leaving only a sense of chaos in the eyes. It's a bit like the process of the universe. I've witnessed contemplation quickly become corrupted and turn into an mess of anxiety, sorrow, or pain. I've seen moral decline in some people and the inevitability of a new beginning in others. It truly can be a beautiful experience, though rather sad at the same time. I've learnt how to see what lies behind my own eyes, as well. What hides just behind the glow of blue – sometimes a little bit dark and scary, and then sometimes, pure magic. The manifesto of defeat I've seen in my own eyes, in my face, even in the eyes and faces of strangers, can always become manipulated into hope. And I think that can leave us all with a sense of realism and the chance of a new understanding. Because of all that I have explained above, I tend to use a lot of figures in my artwork, trying to portray what I see and feel in a clients portrait, or what I see and feel in myself through my creations. I guess everything I've experienced, seen, lived through has manifested into my artwork, creating my style to bend rather romantically towards the dark side of the spectrum. Although my art is filled with wavering forms darkness and personal experience, there is a little light at the end of the tunnel – a rainbow over the storm clouds, if you like. I do my very best to bring in a sense of purpose to all that I create so that the viewer is left with an insight into both the darkness and the light of created artwork. I chose to become an artist because of the nagging pull on the creative strings I've felt my whole life. I've used art to help me overcome obstacles and challenges in my life. I believe art can show us all that with some positive thinking, research, and use of resourceful methods, any troubles can be fixed. Creation is the pathway to my self-awareness. It is the gift I have to be able to fully express myself through my artwork. Creativity, to me, is the road to becoming authentic. Art can set us free. It can plunge us (sometimes unwillingly) into the depths of who we really are. I get full access to what it is I assume and believe about myself when I create. The more art I create, the more I discover what my habits, impulses and desires are. And... What I create now, will become my legacy.