Thursday, May 26, 2011

BREATHE Surreal Painting

I didn't grow up doodling on napkins or creating art except for the occasional coloring book page just like every other kid. No one in my family knew I could draw or paint or would ever become an artist, least of all me. But I became interested in art while in college when I took an art appreciation class as an elective. When the professor began to explain how paintings held intricate meaning besides just being something pretty or interesting to look at, that's when I became fascinated with art, began studying art regularly and began collecting art. And it was the vision and meaning that artists put into their canvases that made me want to become an artist myself. I didn't want to be just an audience member looking at a work, I wanted to be a part of it, to be on the inside of the painting looking out, to have created something completely from my own imagination. That's why I became a painter.

For me, Surrealism is the most intriguing style of art, for its unique ability to be able to step completely outside of the box and be whatever it wants to be. I would say that Surrealism is not predictable by subject matter, but one knows it when one sees it. It is fantasy and curiosity, it can be meaningful and meaningless.
I enjoy attempting to figure out what the artist meant. I enjoy viewing it just as an oddity, leaving interpretation out of it completely.

My favorite Surrealist painting is by Rene Magritte, whose exquisite work fascinates me endlessly, is a piece called "Persian Letters".


To have taken two simple everyday objects and made them into such a fascinating and meaningful masterpiece blows me away. I have seen this painting in person. It is exquisitely painted by brushwork, depth and light. Then you figure in the subject matter, placement of the objects and the title of the work. Simply fascinating.

For that reason, I love creating Surreal paintings. In this new painting called "Breathe" I have painted a cloud, a half moon and a mask with a realistic face. The sky background was difficult to paint with acrylic. To merge the colors and give the sky a sense of depth took a lot of time (and frustration).  As for defining or explaining this painting, I can only say that what I mean to convey is a positve inspirational message. And I feel that everything else about this painting must be left up to interpretation by the viewer. I want its meaning to be personal to the viewer. And while I am no Magritte, I hope you find it to be both intriguing and visually appealing.



BREATHE
16 x 20

ACRYLIC ON CANVAS


My Paintings are available on Etsy
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