Small Stories

Artworks Gallery, Winston Salem

March 4-28, 2015

See a slideshow of my works, mixed media oil paintings, in this exhibition at: 

http://www.plstudioartglass.com/#/fineart-finecraft/smallstories15

My Artist Statement:

With a desire to re-explore painting from observational study, this body of work began to take shape.  Matched with an intrigue to work further by allowing the works to evolve into a mixed media realm, a conceptual thread was conceived. Thus, Small Stories shares a body of conceptual still life, mixed media oil-based, paintings associating parallel experiences and the artist’s life as a muse, with a seduction of homage to other artists:  Contemporary artist, Jeff Barnum states it best, “Every artist is in dialogue”. I have a relationship with certain artists that have taught and influenced my own work, which I cannot explain.  Learning about them has opened up a new world for me.  Mentor artists, although they have died, are always in front of me.

Still life as a subject matter within this day and age seems somewhat out of place.  However, painting still life items for their symbolic meaning reveals a hidden story. Still life provides a platform for artists to explore their relationship to the objects that inhabit their world.  Working directly from observation embraces the concept of beauty in our everyday lives, through objects that have an important place in our heart.

With the conception of each still life, there is contemplation for understanding of what makes particular objects symbolic and important in a story and, more specifically, understanding the meaning of symbolic objects in the composition.  My own projections of overlapping personal symbolic objects as a votive to others- artists also connect from their biographical writing or document. Questioning further whether old traditions and new conceptions can reveal an untold mutation.  Conveying issues of creation, life, death, brokenness and loss are indeed potent issues for the subject of still life.

Finally, this body of work allows the practice of re-exploring the pleasure of observation and learning ‘how to see’ when creating directly from life… something that Cézanne taught me.  It saddens me to think it may be a dying practice.