Meet Deena King

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Deena King. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Deena below.

Hi Deena, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
My Children! When I became a mother in my early twenties, I didn’t even know who I was, what my purpose in life was going to be and I didn’t have much self-esteem with really no direction in life. Then I found myself in my mid-twenties as a single mom. I realized to support my children I would need to get a college education. I became a non-traditional college student and four years later graduated (as a single mom) with my BFA in graphic design which has led to a career as a graphic designer and fine artist. Now later in life, my (now 4) children, continue to give me my purpose and they give me the energy to keep striving for the best version of myself. I now own Define Art Gallery and Studio in Sarasota, Florida, I created the SLAMD artists group which support other artists as well as the community of Sarasota. My children have given me the drive to find and live out my purpose.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am an expressionist artist focused on the celebration, complexity, and strength of the human condition. The core of my artwork is conceptual, the rest of the journey is purely intuitive; allowing the medium and meditation of the process to guide the direction.

My creative process includes intensity in building layers, then reacting to the previous layer. I use geometric shapes, patterns, mark making, and texture to explain the intricacy of the concept. The mediums I choose are found through my desire to explore and invent new uses for an object or a new way to apply the medium. My overall goal, with my artwork, is that everyone will “see” and react differently, resulting in each person having their own meditative experience.

I am currently working on two collections of work. One titled FOUND which is inspired from my journey of becoming an artist and “finding” my calling. The second part of this series is my use of “found objects” included into my art. Each one of the pieces included in this series has an unconventional and multidimensional aspect to them. The second collection is titled I AM A FIERCE FEMALE. This series is inspired by my three daughters and wanting to pass onto the next generation a positive role model as a fierce female. This series of work will include a collaboration piece with other fierce female’s having the opportunity to add their story of how they are a fierce female.

I have lived in amazing cities like Dallas/Fort Worth and Kansas City, and relocated to Sarasota, Florida in 2020 where I permanently reside. This move brought on a new perspective in my professional life, and in March 2022 I opened my own gallery and studio. I currently hold the Membership Chairperson position for Women Contemporary Artists group of Sarasota and founded SLAMD artists group which is an exclusive group of artists working together in the community of Sarasota and Manatee counties. Moving forward, I plan to grow my gallery business to include as many as 30 other artists in the Florida area.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
My advice to others who are early in their journey would be, surround yourself with people who make you a better version of yourself. Secondly, even if the road seems like it will never end, keep going! You will get to that place you want to be and it will be well worth the journey. Lastly, do not entertain the “haters” and even when you have doubt, do not give into that feeling. Their is always haters and there is always, always lovers of what you do. Perseverance is the key to my success in helping me build my skills and create my purpose.

Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
It is not necessarily a single book that has been impactful to how I create, but words, poems, quotes, etc. in general. I am fascinated by the beauty how a combination of words can create a visual in my mind and then I translate those words into a visual piece of art. Many of my fine art pieces are inspired by a poem, or quote by an author I have read from a book, or social media post.

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