candice johnson's photostream

I am Candice, daughter of Richard and Theresa. I grew up in the wet wooded
green of Seattle. My strongest impressions in my early life came from traveling
with my family and later with friends. We lived in Egypt when I was 16. I was
touched forever by humanities antiquity and at the same time by the living and the
enormity of poverty and immense range of physical suffering. I registered this in
my core and believed it also tinted my surface.

My grandma told me my eyes were the color of cried out blue. This would be the
color of my first self portrait.

I continued to travel and live in many different cities including New York, Boston,
New Orleans, Landsthul Germany and Paris, France. I dabbled successfully at
many occupations such as restaurant manager, stained glass artist, retail
manager, woman's fashion and sporting goods buyer, European retail marketing
advisor and stock market trader. Since 2003 I have lived in Los Angeles where I
have redone two very large canvases called homes.

Artist was the first title I wore well. I found it becoming on me and lost the sharp
edge that seemed to define my being for so many years.

I have passed through many people lives and they through mine. I have seen
thousands and thousands of faces. Hundreds of expression have been scratched
on my heart. These speak to me louder than words or the flesh and personalities
lying underneath. These expressions to me are the symbols of our collective
unconscious. I think you know that feeling when you lock eyes with someone often
a stranger. It is as if there are invisible rays of energy loaded with untranslatable
knowledge passing back and forth. This encounter usually ends in a second with a
genuine soft smile and an instant mental flash that there is no rational explanation
for what that has transpired.

Today I am someone who uses paint to try to translate the simple thought that I
know to be true. We are all equally sharing this experience we call life together
even though we are each living it alone. Enshrouding myself with this thought
gives me hope, humility, grace, courage, compassion, the power to forgive and the
ability to love.