Drawing & Painting Group Galleries

Natural Perspectives : My parents worked hard to instill a love for the outdoors in their children. We often visited the nearby state parks, the Catoctin Mountains, and various beaches. As a result I have always had a deep loved of nature. The beauty of the natural world has never ceased to amaze and inspire me. So, it is no surprise that I have often created art based on the beautiful landscapes around me. This influence can be seen in the pieces in this collection as well as many of the others listed on my site. This group of pieces varies greatly with respect to the materials used, the size, and the treatment of the subject matter. However, each piece portrays my emotional response to my surroundings. I hope you enjoy viewing these pieces as much as I enjoyed creating them.

Natural Perspectives

My parents worked hard to instill a love for the outdoors in their children. We often visited the nearby state parks, the Catoctin Mountains, and various beaches. As a result I have always had a deep loved of nature. The beauty of the natural world has never ceased to amaze and inspire me. So, it is no surprise that I have often create ...

Updated: Mar 16, 2007 12:05am PST

Natural Spirit : These pieces were grouped together because of their connection to my spirit as well as their connection to the spirit of the earth. My inspiration for these pieces is drawn from my quest for personal and spiritual growth, as well as from the world around me. During the time that many of these pieces were created, I was deeply influenced by my drawing teacher and his interest in the Native American culture. I loved the respect that Native Americans gave to the earth and all of its gifts. At this time I also became acquainted with the healing practices of the Congo people who lived in the region of Zaire during the late 19th century. This group often commissioned nkisi figures that they believed held a spiritual force that would heal spiritual, physical, and emotional conflicts. The idea of finding healing through both nature and art became strong themes in my work. My personal journey of self-discovery and self-expression has caused me to examine the role of art in spirituality and day-to-day life. This, in turn, sparked my interest in alternative methods of healing and Eastern methodologies.

Natural Spirit

These pieces were grouped together because of their connection to my spirit as well as their connection to the spirit of the earth. My inspiration for these pieces is drawn from my quest for personal and spiritual growth, as well as from the world around me. During the time that many of these pieces were created, I was deeply influence ...

Updated: Mar 15, 2007 8:56pm PST

The World Around Us : I began to seriously study drawing and painting during high school. Like most art students I mainly worked from real life. In my senior year I became one of the first AP art students at my school. This gave me the chance to create and choose my own subject matter. Many of the pieces in this group are based on still lifes that I created. During this time I was deeply influenced by the Impressionists and their use of light, brush stroke, and color. As a result, I began experimenting with color. I also began to paint with short, quick brush strokes applying thicker layers of colorful paint. My playful approach to color, perspective, and form gave my later pieces a somewhat abstracted appearance.

The World Around Us

I began to seriously study drawing and painting during high school. Like most art students I mainly worked from real life. In my senior year I became one of the first AP art students at my school. This gave me the chance to create and choose my own subject matter. Many of the pieces in this group are based on still lifes that I created. ...

Updated: Mar 26, 2007 3:12pm PST

Design : During high school and college my teachers worked hard to instill in each art student the need to understand and use the elements of art and the principles of design. The beauty of design is that it requires an artist to utilize the same artistic skills in a new and different way. Much like creating a solid, abstract piece of artwork, creating a design pushes the artist to simplify artwork and create something new. Although all of the pieces in this collection are handled in different ways, each artwork was created using the same creative thought process.

Design

During high school and college my teachers worked hard to instill in each art student the need to understand and use the elements of art and the principles of design. The beauty of design is that it requires an artist to utilize the same artistic skills in a new and different way. Much like creating a solid, abstract piece of artwork, cre ...

Updated: Mar 26, 2007 3:37pm PST

En Plein Air Et De La Mémoire : These pieces are part of my 2007 drawing begun and finished in outdoors or plein air and added to in my studio, using memory as a tool. This series was mainly created on-site at the Washington Arboretum. I began this series after suffering an injury that made it difficult for me to walk for more then a few minutes or sit for long stretches of time. My injury prevented me from connecting to my inspiration through my daily nature walks. The beauty of our world was not only the inspiration for my work, but also a salve for my soul and without it, I felt deviated. Then I discovered that the Arboretum’s location and design would give me easy access to the nature that inspired my work. I began my series with “The Cherry Blossom Tree”, exploring the idea of the borders within a piece, contemplating boundaries, and wondering, “where does this piece end?” Moving beyond this, I began to ponder when a piece is finished, and how much information is required to convey the spirit of the place. I slowly lightened my marks, encapsulating the beauty before me without recreating each and every detail. In my studio I added touches with my brush, activating my marks and making them more fluid. Then I returned to Arboretum to add more color and breathe life into the work. These ideas evolved within my work, piece by piece, as I began my physical and emotional healing process. This series documents, not only, the beauty of the world around us but also the importance of the Arboretum and the nature-filled parks throughout the city of Seattle. These areas are not the chain-link fenced-in dirt and anemic patches of grass that pass for parks in many cities. They are oasises waiting to bring joy and balance to our lives. It is my hope that my work helps viewers remember and reconnect with the beauty and spirit of our everyday world, inspiring us to ensure the health of our environment, now and in the future.

En Plein Air Et De La Mémoire

These pieces are part of my 2007 drawing begun and finished in outdoors or plein air and added to in my studio, using memory as a tool. This series was mainly created on-site at the Washington Arboretum. I began this series after suffering an injury that made it difficult for me to walk for more then a few minutes or sit for long stretc ...

Updated: May 02, 2008 4:15pm PST

Want to purchase a piece or commission a work? Please contact me at csuniqueartworks@yahoo.com.

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