MaryAnn Kikerpill is a self taught, 'outsider' artist. She is first generation American, born in the Bronx, New York on December 24, 1956 to an Estonian Father and German/Brazilian mother. She lives off the grid at her very secluded Holy Mountain Dream Ranch in the forest at the foot of Mt. Shasta, California. She has been turning the ranch into her own unique Outsider Art environment with her stop sign art project mounted on the fence posts surrounding her large garden area and her unique brightly painted, 'House of Healing - 'Surthrival' Art Gallery' filled with all of her original artwork of 22 years.
MaryAnn calls her art, 'Surthrival Art' as it enables her to survive and to thrive through all the personal challenges and traumas that show up in her life. So far in her life, she has survived two divorces, spousal abuse, bankrupcy, single parenting, toxic boyfriends, a lawsuit threatening to take all of her possessions, chemical poisoning, and stage four breast cancer.
She started painting in 1989 after going through a very painful divorce which changed every part of her life. She was in so much emotional pain that she could barely function or stay alive. A friend suggested that she try creating images on paper of what she was feeling inside. Feeling desperate without any other options, she started creating images and in so doing began the process of discovering the artist within herself and of using art for survival and for healing.
MaryAnn recognizes that she is 'living on borrowed time' since being diagnosed with Breast Cancer. She spends her days creating art and doing all that she can to heal through alternative means. Painting is still her greatest joy and her greatest medicine!
Check out her 'Confessions of an Outsider Artist' Blog at
www.confessionsofanoutsiderartist.blogspot.com
'Art keeps her alive, breathing
Art allows her to step out of her emotions for moments at a time
as she finds the way to say what she is feeling inside... on the page, on the canvas.
Without art, at times like these when her emotions are running
out of control, out of bounds, drowning her in despair
She would not be able to live or make it through.' MaryAnn Kikerpill
'She lives to paint and paints to live!' MaryAnn Kikerpill
'I am a 'surthrival' artist - putting what I am feeling on the canvas enables me to survive and to thrive!' - MaryAnn Kikerpill
'Within each person lives an artist waiting to be discovered!' MaryAnn Kikerpill
'No matter how much art I create, my two awesome children, Liz and Ben Wu, will always be my greatest creations!' MaryAnn Kikerpill
MaryAnn Kikerpill joined Pixels on January 2nd, 2011.
