Interview with Fantasy Artist Atmara Rebecca Cloe

Atmara, being a music teacher, what were the circumstances that led you to express your artistic talents visually rather than just vocally?

I stopped teaching because I developed health problems that no longer allowed me to work full time. The situation lead me rapidly down a long road of spiritual exploration and growth. I was already exploring meditation and a number of spiritual ideas and practices, but being unable to work gave me a great deal of time to accelerate that growth. During that time I was drawn to experiment with painting. I loved color and shape and movement, and although I had limited success with brush and canvas (I just don't possess the hand coordination to be successful at it), the door was opened to the idea of being an artist. One day I found an ad in a local paper for a computer arts school that was literally only a few minutes from where I was living and I signed up for a few basic classes. From there things continued to develop, I got a computer and continued to teach myself how to use the graphics programs. The whole experience seemed to have a life of its own and the road just spread out in front of me, and I am still following it.

Do you still teach music? If so, what kind or style? And are you a musician yourself?

I was a singer and choral director, but am not currently participating in that arena. My training was in classical music. I have done some toning work off and on over the years, and have explored a number of sound and healing techniques and ideas. I hope there will be more music in my future, but at the present the art is my focus.

I always thought that bringing both art forms together could produce a truly inspiring piece of work. Have you ever thought of bringing both of your talents together

That hasn't occurred to me, but who knows where the road will lead next...

Were you creative as a child or did your talents develop later in life?

I liked to do craft projects as a teenager, and took a few basic art classes in college, but my focus then was on singing. As a young adult I did have a number of friends who were artists, and I developed a good eye for what works visually by talking with them about their work. I didn't have any idea at the time that I would become a computer artist in my 40's, of course, since the field didn't even exist then, but I do look back and see that I learned a great deal intuitively by knowing these people and experiencing their art.

You talk about "channeling" your art, what do you mean by that?

I feel each image I create is a living entity. The energy comes from a higher dimension and I am asked to give it form in this dimension. Usually I have a general idea of what I am going to create when I start, but it grows organically as I work on the piece. I feel guided in the decisions I make about what to do next as I'm working, but I don't usually know where it will all end up until suddenly "there it is on the screen" and I know it is complete.

Do you work with any other forms of media or do you strictly use the computer?

All my work is computer generated

What do you feel you get in Corel Bryce that you don't get in any of the Adobe products? Also what do you use Poser and Infini-D for?

Bryce is a 3D landscape program. Poser is a 3D program for creating human figures. Infini-D was a 3D modeling program, but is no longer on the market. I use Adobe Photoshop as the final program where images created in Bryce and Poser are put together with other images and completed in some way. Many images, particularly the more abstract things are created solely in Photoshop.

How do you begin an image?

I'm inspired to a general idea by my Spirit (this can come from an infinite variety of stimuli--something I see in a book or magazine, something I see on the Web, something that comes to me in meditation, or just from looking out the window at the beauty around me.) Then the process is as I described earlier in the question about channeling.

You've done several beautiful magazine and book covers. Do you actively market your work or how did you break into the market?

I have tried various ways of actively marketing my work, but have not found that successful. Everyone who has licensed or commissioned work from me has found me on the Web, rather than me going out and finding them. Like everything we create in our life, it's all about the Law of Attraction. For more information about that I would refer your readers to Abraham-Hicks Publications at: http://www.abraham-hicks.com/ . There you will find the most concise and useful information that I've ever seen on how the Universe works and how we create our lives.

What about the person behind the art; what inspires you? What are some of your other interests?

I love nature, and I love being part of the creation of the next evolutionary step on this planet. I am here to uplift, and inspire others to love themselves and each other, and to know we are all worthy, loveable, magnificent beings, and to co-create with them the next "best" that we all can be.

You have a very unusual name. Where did it come from?

I was given the name Atmara in meditation. I was not looking for a spiritual name, but suddenly it was there in my mind and I was encouraged to use it. That was about 20 years ago. At first I was a little hesitant to use it (would people think I was weird?), but found it helped me connect with the larger multidimensional being that I am. Now it is such a part of me that it is just who I am. It doesn't seem unusual to me now at all. It's just my name.

Where do you see yourself going with your art or what would you like to see happen?

Honestly, I would love to have much more monetary success with my work. I have created a large body of work that needs to be out in the world used in as many ways as possible. I think it's time has come, and I am attracting more people who are interested in using my art. Everything I create is available for licensing and I want more of that, as well as more opportunities to create new work. Where will it go next? Who knows? I'm just continuing down the path that unfolds before me.

Any words of advice for aspiring artists?

Follow your heart. Connect as fully as possible with all that you are and follow that inner voice. Create what you love and allow it to find its own place in the world. Learn about the Law of Attraction mentioned in the question about marketing. That's good advice for everyone, artist or not.

To view more of Atmara Rebecca Cloe's inspirational artwork, please visit her website: http://www.nwcreations.com/. If you would like to send her an email, her address is: cloe@nwcreations.com.

All works are copyright. Permission to use these images in any way must be obtained from the artist.