Water Lillies

"Water Lillies" Acrylics on Stretched Canvas

Art is incredibly subjective for both the Artist and the audience. Some artists take great strides to present a message or a perspective that has depth in meaning, while others- notably the Dadaists- avoid meaning at all cost. As artists, when we are young and learning, often we are driven to please our mentor, our teacher, our parents, or others around us. When I decided to rediscover my art, I made a conscious decision to "just create". My goal was not to conform my style, my subject, or any other aspect to any motive but one: to be creative. It is my belief that when it comes to creativity, one must follow the heart and the inspiration much like a flower follows the rays of the sun, bending here and there to achieve life.

While I can appreciate any art in any of it's forms or styles, I have always been most attracted to Impressionism. Van Gogh, Manet, Toullouse-Letrec have always been my favorite painters. The mere name of the style holds a fascination for me: to create an impression of a thing. In the right context a simple brown line can become a mighty, thick and sturdy tree reaching into the air with strength. What you- the viewer- sees is usually up to you. If you see what I have tried to reveal, awesome. If you see something else, that works, too. With art, both the physical eye and the spiritual eye must work together to view, consume, and decipher the overall scene before you. There is a certain visual synchronicity that occurs.

My second foray into my newly rediscovered love of art produced the piece "Water Lillies", an experiment in dimensional art. At the center of each flower is a piece of amethyst, serving as the anchor for the subject, and in the right conditions reflecting a purple light on other elements of the painting. Within the layers of foliage there is an Impressionaistic sense of order, or maybe it's chaos: you decide.

Details: "Water Lillies" (8" x 10" Acrylics on Stretched Canvas) was created in late 2009 and now hangs in the collection of Phil and LuAnn Holleman (Gifted).