O-A: What is art to you? Is creating an urge, necessity or maybe an incontournable, essential way of life?
Machiko Oshima Turner: Two meanings
(A) – Law of the Universe. Law of Nature.
Creation of joy and a natural way of cleansing one’s mental and physical condition on a daily basis. In the way that people eat when hungry, yawn if they lack oxygen, go to bed and sleep when tired. It is my method of releasing the things that have risen or built up inside in an enjoyable and fun natural discharge action.
Just like a daily exercise, I let my hands lead the way without having a concrete image inside. The color and tangible image start to flow out of myself and start to shape form, line by line, color by color. I am able to discover my mental and physical condition by seeing the energy welled up on the canvas. I enjoy the process of this self-discovery as joyful exercise.
Recently though, I’ve decided to have an image (concrete or not) before I start drawing.
(B) – Giving shapeless image a new life (tangible form by way of art expression) and share this tangible image with someone, who’s been waiting to receive that message somewhere on this planet Earth.
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O-A: Who or What inspired you artistically, a person, artist, event, experience…..
Machiko Oshima Turner: There are four categories of inspiration.
（A）The five senses, touch, taste, hearing, sight, and smell
Things like the warmth of people when hugging, the warm feeling that envelops the body when getting in a bath, and the smooth fresh crisp comfortable feel of washed bed sheets. The gorgeous green scent after the grass has been mowed, the fragrance of a wonderful herb tea or delicious food and drink. The fresh taste of early morning air, the sound and feeling of the wind.
A beautiful sunrise or sunset, the stars, flowers, animals, all aspects of nature.
（B）Strong emotions
Especially powerful feelings, or memories of the past, future, etc
（C）Internal honest thoughts and feelings
Being quiet and focusing on myself, from the bottom of my heart, feeling what I want to do at that moment.
（D）Imagining ways to inspire or change the mood of other people, and to make them smile
Thinking about what my family, friends, and loved ones need right now, and also ways to make myself smile.
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O-A: How has your art changed over time? Why?
Machiko Oshima Turner: Because my feelings are changing daily. My style of painting is continuously changing, and I think it’s very natural not be set in a fixed style, but to be more of a FREE STYLE, learning new methods, techniques and inspirations.
I think everyone changes to some degree every day. It is natural that my interests change because I am constantly learning and growing. I want people to see my work and be changed for the better, and the goal is my art is to positively change human energy instantly.
O-A: What names do you give your artworks?
Machiko Oshima Turner: If you concentrate on what you feel, each canvases story comes to mind, and the title is then decided.
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