This may be the breakthrough summer for artist Rebecca Payne with her creativity soaring and her work appearing in three Bermuda Society of Arts shows since March.

The young artist's first appearance was in the March 14 show "Land and Sea" and, shortly after, two of her pieces - "Whither" and "Darken" entered the June 16 "Break The Mould" exhibit at City Hall.

Ms Payne will again be featured in the "Six in the City" show later this month.

The young artist is swirling the surface of her creativity and the all-woman "Six in the City", which opens August 29, is unlikely to be the end of her spotlight.

In the workings are five more pieces for exhibit in Bermuda.

The budding creative spirit, who is also an assistant at Montpelier Re and young mother, spoke to Kate Waters about her work.

Your artwork reminds me of skin. As if you are pulling off layers of yourself piece by piece. What's at the core?

What's in the middle? That's what I'm trying to find out. That's the feeling I want of ultimately knowing exactly who I am. I'm still finding out.

It's scary to face the unknown.

It has to be done though. My thinking is, how can you look at other people if you can't see yourself?

Are you taking back life, by taking back art?

A lot of people go that way. It's important I guess, it's hard not to do things to please other people. It's hard to follow your own way. I would be like everyone else is this and that and the other thing, I have no clue what I want to do, it's one of those cases. The challenge is focus. I feel sometimes that I wasn't born with the rule book, that other people knew these things that I didn't. But once I focus I follow my own path.

What do you believe in?

I believe in art and creativity, that's the only way. You have to believe, you can doubt everything, even the existence of god and other huge dilemmas. Everyone has their different way of talking or viewing or using a different name. When George Lucas says the force is everywhere, it's a different translation saying the same thing. It's about love and peace and finding your own way.

What are your paintings about?

I see them as extensions of how you are feeling at the time. Those two ('Whither' and 'Darken') were quiet dark, they did go into great detail. The first one is about trying to walk and denying the shadows but then turning back and accepting things about yourself and knowing they will always be there. It's about embracing it all in the whole experience. The more you deny something the more it rears it's ugly head. The mood about both are very different. One is very withdrawn, the other is coming away from that, but the darkness will always be there. It's about my acceptance of that.

When do you have time to paint?

You can't always schedule creativity. That's something else I'm learning, how to turn it on when I need to. Sometimes, it's like a running race. You need to warm up first. Other times you can get right to it. It would be nice to be able to fit it into a schedule, because who wants to be up painting at four and then go to work at nine?

What inspires you about living here?

Nothing about Bermuda as such. The beauty isn't lost on me but I don't paint that way. Everything is creative, every single person has something inside. It comes out in different ways, I sometimes hear people say "I don't have a creative bone in my body." I feel for people like that. Because its not true. It just needs to find its way out, in whatever way. It has to come out, every single day.

What are your pieces made of?

Brown paper, because there was nothing else in house! I like it, it appeals to my environmental side. It was accidental. I like the way more you use it, the more weathered it looks. It is more realistic; things not being new but (rather) being reused and changed again into a piece of art. I ripped the grocery bags and taped and then I drew on it with Biro. I worked on the floor and the kids walked all over it, then I gave it a wash of watery acrylic paint. Then it was framed by Frameworks.

Where do you want your art to go?

I want it to improve. I look at it from a critical point of view and I see flaws. If you want to be any good you have to keep doing it. I feel still it's all very raw and just coming out. It's not technically very good yet, but I'll just keep doing more basics with more ideas for projects. I'm brainstorming now for paintings now. I'm just back from being away.

Did you go to school for art, what did you study in college?

English and Theatre, I didn't go to school for art. I had an art teacher who I feel was frustrated by the liberal arts system. He gave me all access to the art rooms, so I started in college.

I took art as electives, working with charcoals and later he suggested painting. I produced a bit, then a lot in college.

Then, after that, about one or two a year until two years ago, then I started doing it more regularly. The timing is a challenge.

My kids are little, five and three. There was no time, I suddenly found myself grown up a bit. There's not as much time as you think.

What does art have that English and Theatre did not have?

With me it's a practical thing.

I do some theatre here but I can only do one thing a year because of scheduling. With work and family and rehearsals it takes a lot of time, and shows could run a couple of weeks.

It's hard work. With art I don't have to leave the house, I can do it when it grabs me.

I'm thinking of turning my garage into a studio. My pieces are so large I'm lying all over floor with the kids stepping over me, everyone needs some space.

What did you do after college?

I had all kinds of the typical jobs. I was a trail guide, a waitress, fighting the growing up thing!

Have you done artwork about kids?

No but I think about how to incorporate them into it. I don't want them to be in anything dark. Get dark things out and do happy paintings about children.

It's very hilarious, it's a bit of a struggle. My daughter yesterday drew on the wall just like her mother. I had to tell her that was great but next time to do it on some paper.

My son used to paint in the bathtub. We'd put paper all around the bathtub, and then you just wash all the mess off afterwards.

When you are 65, now that you are 30, what do you want for yourself and your artwork?

All the artwork I'm doing is going to be a reflection of my life and what's going on in it and how I see things.

I hope I'm happy and relatively sane when I'm 65. It comes back to technical aspect of it. I want a finished quality.

I think it's pretty cool when people like and are good at what they do. I like that people look at my work and if they get something out of it, then that's the best I can hope for.