Marija Harris is a junk journal enthusiast and mixed media artist. Being raised in a household of artists and construction workers, she has learned to bring both worlds together in her mixed media art work.

Writing a summary of myself in third person is an impossible task for me, so I will tell a story instead. When I was a child, my mother and sister were deeply gifted artists. I would watch them as they painted and drew elaborate works. When they would work on hands, they would get frustrated, swear a little, and complain about how hard it was to get hands to look real. This was long before we started using the phrase “Uncanny Valley.” I was more of a book worm then an artist, so only my teacher’s saw my work. I decided that learning to draw hands would be proof for myself that I was artistic. I drew hands during every class and in every meeting for 20 years, just to nod to myself that ‘See, I’m artistic.” I can now draw beautiful realistic hands, but damned if I can draw a face.

Now, as a grown and weathered woman, I try to just feel the joy of art and not worry so much about whether I am a REAL artist. I accept that maybe I’m an imposter who just enjoys the beauty of the moment and wants to share it with the world.