I met Desere Pressey when she had a space underneath the stairs at the Gorilla House.

I was instantly drawn to her; her youth, her wisdom, her willingness to enter the gyre!  I think she reminds me of a younger version of myself.  It’s interesting how, in life, we meet up with mirrors of our own souls.  Desere is one of those mirrors.

As serendipity would have it, we ended up at the same starting-event last evening, Enriquito’s Selfismo and from there, along with her lovely friend, Heather, ended up tumbling through the evening, ending up in her creative space at Slate Studios.  There was a chill in the air, but the warmth of the objects surrounding us and the paintings on the walls chased the cold away.  I think that art that is born from a person’s soul is miraculous; something comes of nothing at all, a spark, a memory, a narrative, colour…It is absolutely thrilling to create and it is as beautiful to watch others create.  Such a journey of celebration!

I was blessed to have met Desere and it will be exciting to watch her through this process of immersion, emerging and growth.  Her work contains powerful elements of humanity and the mystical.  It is provocative and painterly.  I treasured the time spent in her sacred space and wish her many blessings on her journey as artist, friend, wife, daughter and mother of three beautiful children.  You can explore Desere’s portfolio here.

In Desere’s Words…

Desere Pressey is an entrepreneur and co-founder of three successful businesses over the last decade. Throughout her career she has always felt a strong pull towards her true passion for the arts, and made the decision to cease resisting her true calling. In the embrace of art, Desere now dedicates a large portion of her time to painting, which she feels aids in sustaining a connection with the creative intelligence that unites us all.

“I love the experience of being around other artists, and all the various art forms. Just being in proximity to creative flow, charges and enlivens me. Shaping energy into form comes from a place beyond what we can fully understand…intuitive artwork .. unbound..can teach us a little more of this place. I think”

“During the experience of painting, self-judgment ebbs away for creation to flow over a landscape where right doing and wrongdoing cease to exist” -Desere

Desere’s response…written here because I need to hold on to it in my archive…

We all have needs that reach far beyond our worldly desires.. and these needs are rooted from deep within our creative nature. We get our hands dirty, stir and mix, collaborate, put down words and we get up and dance! Our soul self is like a joyful child:) Perhaps you see your soul self in me.. and I you. For you still glow with the youthfulness of a child my sweet friend. You made me do a little happy dance in my studio when I read this entry of yours. I am deeply touched:) I treasure you.