Destiny McKinney | Visual Artist

I fear that I may take advice too literally. I've always heard that the best way to test your own knowledge of a subject is to be so familiar with it that you could teach the subject to a complete beginner. So I applied and was subsequently hired as an instructor for The Tulsa Art Group. As it turns out, I fell in love with the act of sharing knowledge and ideas.

The first class I facilitated was titled, “Acrylic Painting for Beginners: Autumn Landscapes”. Through the exploration of breaking down techniques and processes for creating beautiful scenes with acrylic paint, I realized the vast majority of my art could be described as nature-adjacent; Since I began selling art in 2011, with a few exceptions, the primary subject matter of my art has been of the diverse and expansive natural world. From lonely tree paintings, to expressive red roses and to the glowing nostalgia of fireflies in a mason jar, the most common theme across my art has been my admiration for our natural world.

The art classes I’ve hosted have served another core belief, and that's my deep need to be an actively participating member of my community and the fulfillment that can only come from being of service to others. Because of this, I like to use mediums that are easily accessible at the most common retailers. These include graphite and Prismacolor pencil, acrylic paint, and when I want to truly just play, I use gouache paint. Occasionally, when a piece calls for it, I use a sculpting medium or recycled cardboard and paper mache to give my art a 3D element.

At some point, every artist has fantasized of the possibility of sharing their work with the world, and while I would like to think of myself as unique, I, too, share in this dream. However, my vision has evolved to share my knowledge, as well as my art, with my world of the Tulsa community.