For the past few weeks, I have had the privilege of exhibiting many of my paintings at The Narrows Café Gallery. Frank and I hosted a reception on September 7th, and I had the opportunity to meet with many different people and talk about my art.
One of the questions asked of me was why I paint in my particular style and what I hope people take from it. These are questions I’ve been thinking about since that Saturday.
I have loved folk art, folk tales and folk music since I was able to read. Fairy tales always captivated me as did color, whimsy and song. In college I had the opportunity to take many courses in the different folklores of the world. I was always drawn to symbols, circles and mazes, but my biggest love affair was with color. I couldn’t get enough of it, and I began to break the rules of reality. I began to paint as I imagined rather than as I saw. This wasn’t a popular idea in my art classes and teachers often criticized my work as not realistic, childlike and primitive.
But, something in my heart rebelled against all of that negativity. Something was stronger than discouraging words. I never gave in although I did put my art aside during the many years of teaching.
Retirement opened up those feelings. I had time for painting now, and the only critic was me, myself. I realize that art cannot be defined neatly. It is too complex. It speaks of what the artist wants to say and the audience response to it.
If I had to set boundaries in realism, I think I would be paralyzed. I want my art to splash and swirl. I want it to be bold and bright in the way that I see it. I paint of a world that I imagine, one that lives within me. I don’t follow rules, I follow my heart. I use the shapes and techniques that my ancestors used.
I want my paintings to live on their own, to evoke memories, to have timelessness about them. My desire is for the art viewer to feel joy, innocence and hope. I want my art to be a calming, cleansing tool for life in today’s turmoil and darkness.
In the end, I paint because I love it, because it soothes my wounded parts and offers me great joy. What better reason could there be?
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