#sparkchamber 060523 — Monica Loney

We always love happenstance, and while out and about, #sparkchamber happened upon public-art advocate and visual artist, Monica Loney. From her home in Barrie, ON, Monica has had the pleasure of traveling all over the world, which brought her to the conclusion that, “we all share a commonality of wanting to belong and be loved. I gain inspiration from meeting new people and hearing their stories. Communication and connection are key.” Her artwork reflects this understanding, often focusing on the human body and nature, using continuous lines to visually represent universal connection.

Monica also creates public art, recently completing a stunning mural on the side of a building in Barrie. Called the Strawberry Mural [for obvious reasons] the full title of the work is Little by Little, a Little Becomes a Lot. Created by Toronto-based muralist, designer, and crafter Bareket Kezwer and executed with Monica’s assistance, four large strawberries composed of hundreds of heart-shaped “pixels” now adorn the building. Quoting from that article, “One heart is a heart, but many hearts together create a masterpiece. In art, and in our communities, small gestures repeated enough times have a major impact. The repeating heart invokes an abundance of love and invites you to remember that you are loved, and exist in loving relation with the natural world.” The sensibility and subtext of the mural perfectly align with Monica’s philosophies of life. “I believe in the power of art to heal and unite. I am empowerment focused and want to encourage the use of art to express.”

1.] Where do ideas come from?

Emotion. I believe all ideas are rooted in an emotion that is trying to find a way out to be expressed.

2.] What is the itch you are scratching?

Empowering individuals to be their true selves in order to come together to empower and uplift the community; our world.

3.] Early bird or night owl? Tortoise or hare?

I rise with the sun and allow the silence of the morning to open up my mind and heart for creation. I cherish the moments of solitude, knowing the rest of the world has yet to wake and the chaos of a busy day has yet to unfold. I am an earlier riser and after a meditation and journaling session, I am ready to get to my art practice allowing my intuition to lead the way.

4.] How do you know when you are done?

I feel satisfied. A sense of ease remains. I have learned to acknowledge when the Ego comes in and that inner critic appears, to take a moment and tune in to my body not my mind.