Greetings my name is Audreya Jackson.  I am finishing a Bachelor's Degree at Rutgers University-Newark and a certification in Urban Education.  I have loved art all my life, and started drawing and writing when I was two years old.  My art is created by observing the creative aspects in all things and how they intertwine with each other.  For instance, I observe colors and patterns in plants, rhythm in animals, etc.  All the images I observe seem to intertwine with one another in a dialogue.  One of my inspiring artists is Mati Klarwein.  His images share a dialogue that intertwines images.  Throughout the history of art, there has always been a method, pattern or idea shared by more than one artist.  To know this, one has to study art history.  Art history also inspires new ideas and encourages expression.  Today, our world seems driven by politics, which I define as "the study of material power".  As I teach, my focus is to bring art back into the classrooms of urban schools.  As an English teacher, I feel literacy is important for inquiry and communication and art for critical thinking and expression.  Eventually, as more students unlock their creative potential, "the study of power" will be recognized as an energy that lives in all matter waiting to be utilized to uplift and not tear down humanity and Earth.
 
Painting by Mati Klarwein at http://the-cover-up.com/2009/05/19/santana-abraxas/