“And now here is my secret,
a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly;
what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
~ Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
I’ve always loved this quote. I find it an irresistible call to try to make visible to the eye what “the heart…can see rightly”. Perhaps this is not possible. It is definitely a challenge.,,,,and it is a practice. It is a ‘conversation‘ with the work which results, hopefully, in a connection not only to something unknown within myself but also to those who engage with it. It requires a letting go of preconceptions in order to understand beyond what is known - allowing the unexpected to emerge and letting the work itself lead.
Whether via design or fine art, the process is essentially a journey of discovery - a search for order within chaos, balance between extremes and more than this, the elicitation of emotion. It is an exploration of what we can feel, or want to feel. Both the process and its result evolve, holding the potential to make visible what the “heart…can see” and searching for the sacred within the mundane, Ultimately, the hope is to reclaim a sense of awe and to connect to something beyond ourselves and to that which dwells deep within - simultaneously. It is a call I can’t resist.
about
Working in graphic design and interactive media disciplines for over 3 decades, Maureen Kringen has applied a love of painting and fine art to a design approach that is textural and illustrative, with a modern sensibility.
A combination of timing and a personal interest in unusual mediums landed Maureen in the interactive gaming industry at a time when digital media was becoming capable of displaying rich visual environments. A degree in Advertising Illustration from Art Center College of Design, which spanned the disciplines of both illustration and design, enabled her to explore ways of expanding this medium beyond current computer graphic limitations with the goal of bringing a higher standard of design and beauty to the interactive platform.
As Art Director at SEGA’s Southern California division, she trained and led a growing team of artists in the development of gaming environments and characters. Along with her team, she worked to push the boundaries of art and animation within the digital medium.
This evolved into the opportunity, as Group Director, to research and develop projects exploring the application of 3D, artificial intelligence and neural networks to broaden both the conceptual content of the interactive experience as well as the aesthetic look and feel. With the advent of the public internet, her experience with digital media led seamlessly into the emerging new world of website development. Coupled with a return to graphic design for print and brand identity, Maureen collaborated with her clients and worked to develop a visual voice that would represent them and create meaningful connections to their unique communities both online and in print.
Maureen currently devotes her time to painting. Rediscovering texture, form and color in traditional mediums, she has returned to what she loved in childhood. She draws inspiration from the patterns, texture and design found in nature and from the mystery, complexity and strength of the human spirit.
featured in
Design, illustration and interactive media work has appeared in:
Print Magazine, Wired Magazine, Disney Magazine, The Society of Illustrators, New York and appears in Typographic Form and Communication, Third edition design textbook for The School of the Arts Virginia Commonwealth University.
Client projects and services have included:
brand identity
website design + development
illustration
print media
packaging