Artists need to be fluent in the languages of realism and
abstraction. An artist needs to
understand the aspects of creating art such as drawing skills and painting
techniques. Realism gives me the
information and abstraction is the visual language that frees me to paint and
draw what is going on in my mind as I observe the subjects before me. I may be looking at a child but I also see future,
innocence, wonder and love.
The child
becomes the subject of my message, not the message itself. I attempt to capture the moment, not document
every detail that my eyes take in. I
have to edit and make choices as I try my best to keep my first impression at the
top of my to do list.
The more I paint
and search for the wonder and delight that I see in my subjects, the more it improves
the quality of my vision. I can copy the
subject but I need to look at my artwork frequently and see if the artwork is
expressing my vision. Art is about seeing
and interpreting, feeling and reacting.
The goal is to achieve the delicate balance between realism and abstraction
so that my artwork is powerful and expressive.
