Who we are...
David Borden,
Artist / Entrepreneur
This studio is a dream that now has a brick and mortar home that I can share with you. My hope is that this once abandoned building will become a hub for creativity: working studio, gallery space, classroom, and place to hang out with a glass of wine on the porch during a warm summer night.
I've always worked out of my home studio, showing my works at galleries, fairs, booth shows, and on-line. I came to Florence to escape Austin's mad dash into unaffordability for artists. Everyone from City Hall to the Chamber of Commerce to people I've met in town have been welcoming and friendly. I was able to purchase an abandoned gas station (that maybe I should have torn down if I'd been smarter) and renovate it. The building itself is a living, evolving art project...
Reclaiming Our Humanity with Art: The Manifesto
We believe that art plays a significant role in enriching our lives, shaping our societies, and contributing to our collective understanding of what it means to be human. We envision a world in which we embrace the creation of art as an inalienable right, alongside the rights to life and liberty. In other words, making art should not be a privilege for a small elite, but a common practice that benefits the many.
Art as a Human Endeavor: We believe that art plays a significant role in expressing the human experience; it not only reflects, but transforms our emotions, thoughts, and perceptions. It is a powerful tool that we can use to explore our humanity.
Art as a Spiritual Practice: We believe that the process of making art provides a means of connecting with our inner selves, as well as the tangible and intangible world. Art has the power to evoke emotions, stimulate imagination, and foster self-expression. By engaging in art as a spiritual practice, we can cultivate self-awareness, mindfulness, and personal growth, enabling individuals to live lives of deep meaning and purpose.
Art as an Experience: We believe that art should be experienced, not just consumed. Art is not meant to be passive entertainment or a luxury for the elite. Art should be accessible and participatory, engaging all individuals in the process of creation, experimentation, and exploration. Art should foster connections, spark conversation, and provide respite from the ever maddening complexities of society.
Art for Meaning and Purpose: We believe that art has the potential to bring meaning and purpose to our lives. Through artistic expression, we can communicate our unique perspectives, share our stories, and make sense of the world. Art can ignite our imagination, challenge our assumptions, and inspire us to create positive communities.
Art for All: We advocate for the democratization of art, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to engage in artistic expression.
Visual arts, such as painting, drawing, sculpture, and other forms of artistic expression, can be deeply connected with mindfulness. Mindfulness is a state of non-judgmental awareness of the present moment, where one is fully present and engaged in the experience without being consumed by thoughts of the past or worries about the future. When applied to visual arts, mindfulness involves being fully present with the creative process, paying attention to the colors, shapes, textures, and other sensory aspects of the artistic experience, without getting caught up in thoughts, judgments, or distractions.
David Borden is an award winning artist and writer from Texas. He's been featured in the Austin Chronicle and on HGTV.
Painting
David painting in his old studio.
Fifth Street, Austin Texas. Oil on Canvas. sold
Traditional Block Printmaking
To create a traditional block print, I carve the design into wood or linoleum, ink the plate, then transfer the image to paper by pressing.
Left: Celtic Cross. Two blocks are used. One for each color.
Right: Stag beetles and Dragonflies.
