ARTIST STATEMENT* 2009
For me, painting is a pilgrimage — a journey into the mystery of creation and, through that sacred path, ultimately a journey into the deepest reaches of my soul. If in my painting I am successful in reaching my goal, then I see it as a bridge into you.
Whether I am painting in the breathtaking Hudson Valley, near Tuscan castles, or on a sun-drenched beach in Maui, my intent is to capture the underlying brilliance — the spiritual energy — that underlies all of nature. At this point of my development, painting en plein air, absorbed into nature’s grand silence of communication, with all of my senses acting as ready receptors to whatever might be presented to me, seems to most further my mission of discovery. Painting in nature has heightened my awareness of the need to take care of this sacred ground.
With intuition leading the way, I avoid focusing on details to allow for a total immersion of self into the “greater” self that surrounds me. Slowly, the world of form and color merges and shifts, separates and impresses, the whole dissolving into an insistent mood of pure energy. It is this distillation of both what is seen and not seen that I attempt to capture on my canvas. When a mixture of color and form resonates in my being, when I feel that I am at one with nature and that my painting is reflecting that union, then I feel a sense of spiritual awakening. The magic is there and the painting is complete.
The materials I select are those that leave the least amount of waste behind. The Mini Circles Collection are painted with the new Golden Open Acrylics on wooden disks that were saved by the Hudson Valley Materials Exchange in New Paltz, NY from going into the waste stream. I am always on the lookout for products that are of the highest quality and green.
As founder of the World Tour of Contemporary Landscape Artists, it was my intention that this group act as stewards of the land as well as the art acting as a bridge between countries. An upcoming book will feature the works of the special places these artists have selected
In the end, it is my hope that through my painting I have passed along a respect and love of our land and the need to take care of her.
www.i-p-a-p.comJOIN THE 7th GREAT WORLDWIDE PAINT OUT
HERE
