Casey Bemis

I grew up surrounded by the love of the arts and music, a trait inherited from my parents. There was never any question as to what I would do, for you do not choose the art; it chooses you. My work employs a wide array of medias, techniques and styles simply because I am interested in all the art processes. I coined the term: visually multi-lingual.

My predominant theme revolves around mother nature, whether it's a landscape painting or a closeup drawing of a bee on the flower. There are so many nuances to the color spectrum, the seasons to take into account as well as the physical landscape that constantly changing. As an artist, I seek to capture, to record for posterity these ethereal moments for the future.

I am also fascinated by the simplest form, the circle. A perfect shape yet often impossible to create freehand. The circle represents the unending cycle, like seasons, life but it also applies to the basic building blocks of life right down to the molecules.

When I'm not in the studio creating, I can be found at my piano, practicing Chopin or attempting to teach myself the Cello. My other passion is music. And like the arts, I have a wide range of musical interests, some of which inspires my abstract work. Oddly enough, I was born deaf, though through the miracle of technology, I am able to hear only about 20 percent of the world. Because of this deficit, I have the unique ability to see the music in colours, shapes and even times, a narrative. I translate this gift into a painting, hoping that others can feel, even perhaps hear the work.

A summer pre-college program at Rhode Island School of Design prepared me for the reality of art school with six weeks of intense drawing, design, illustration and an introduction to art history. 1994

I graduated top of my class from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 1996-99. Only 10 out of 300 hundred received this recognition. I studied classical art history and literature, learned the techniques of old masters for painting, played with hot glass tubes over ribbon burners in the neon lab, and combining technology with art in Art & Technology.

Studies at graduate level, back at Rhode Island School of Design covered Drafting, Interior Architecture and traditional film making. 2000

I went on to receive a master's degree from the Academy of Art University, specifically in Metal Arts. 2003-05. Though half of my studies focused on anatomy, drawing and sculpting the human form, furthering my understanding of the physical world. Again, I was awarded with Honors for my contribution to the school.

I’m currently working on a full-length novel.