I once approached an important artist when I was a younger woman, and asked him,
“How can I paint a perfect picture?” I remember he smiled, and replied “It is very simple.
First, you lead a perfect life”. What I learned then that my intention as an artist and
as a human being was to place myself on an intercept path with contribution and grace.
Each of us has an obligation to serve and assist, and I believe the destiny of our communities
depends on this. I must paint, for it is what helps defines me. So, my intention
as a painter must be to heal and nourish and restore.
Every contemporary artist dances with the same mysteries and questions. “What am I
trying to achieve?” “Have I succeeded?” “Was it worth doing?” “Are some artistic challenges
more interesting than others?” “More relevant?” “More meaningful?”
instead of sharing my rewards with gallerists, or
dealers, or auction houses. Alone in my studio, I can remain challenged as a painter, knowing
the rewards of my work contribute and educate and set us on course toward a mutual
and common human goal. Respect for one another, and respect for our Mother Earth.
“Community” is a body of work that tells a story of risk taking. The artist’s successful life
is dependent on uncertainty. We are perched alone, out upon a brittled bough, searching
for traces that ring true to our own spirits. In this process of distilling, we find technique,
faith, love and revelation.
These paintings reflect the rightness I see in the reoccurring forms of nature. The earth,
water, sea, and sky. Yet, within them also lies a deep and provocative yearning to communicate
the human condition. Between my initial idea and the finished painting lies a
gulf we can see across, but never fully chart together. It is there, that I hope to convey a
sense of optimism, and clarity, and self-affirmation to the viewer.
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