Archive: Workshop your Artist Statement!

[martina.delange60]

Hello Peeps! This is your techno-phobic and naive colleague. But that is how I like to do my art: with the spontaneity of art therapy, where my inspiration comes from. Which means that I have a huge resistance to intellectualising. I am doing my best, though :’)  This is my first artists’s statement ever. Here goes…

 

My landscape paintings flow from my heightened awareness when surrounded by the isolation and vastness of wilderness areas. I hope that my viewer will have a sense of recognition. This could be a ‘sense of place’; being reminded of their experience of a similar location. It could also be a recognition of a universal emotion expressed in the painting. My use of rough textures and my loose application of acrylic paint indicates that the goal is not photo-type realism. Instead, these effects aim at increasing the immediacy of the experience of the painting. When I am told that a painting is “so realistic”, I rejoice that it resonates with the viewer and that my message has in some measure been received.

I paint landscapes to share my experience and to document some of the wild places that still remain. I hope that my work will serve as a reminder of the value of the remaining wilderness areas, which put us into perspective and speak to the emotions and values that make us truly human.

[Crista]

Martina,

 

I can’t believe this is your first statement! It’s really good!

I am a writer so I could not help myself, I started to edit it and play with the words and order. You can take it or leave it, but this is what I came up with:

 

 

My landscapes flow from the heightened awareness experienced when surrounded by the isolation and vastness of wilderness areas. These canvases offer a sense of recognition. This could be a sense of place; being reminded of similar locations, or even the recognition of the universal emotions expressed in the painting. My use of rough textures and loose application of acrylic paint  aim at increasing the immediacy of the experience.

I paint landscapes in service to the wild places that still remain. For these are the places that speak to the emotions and values that make us truly human.

[martina.delange60]

Thank you so much, Christa, for your encouragement and edit. 😀 😀

I posted a second try, very short and sharp, in more general terms so as to cover my abstract work as well. I’ll put that one out there as well.

[martina.delange60]

I wrote a second artist statement, short and sharp,on  which Drew was kind enough to comment (I don’t know where it has gone to, though). In the first statement I concentrated on landscapes. Then I tried to come up with the thread running through all my work, including abstracts.

Here is my General Artist Statement:

My art recognizes pain and loss in the face of inevitable change. Even though cycles of destruction and recreation underpin the universe, the human reaction to undesired change is resistance. Paradoxically, a willingness to embrace all change opens up a richness of experience. My art, therefore, also celebrates the beauty that transcends suffering.

My landscapes flow from the heightened awareness experienced  in the isolation and vastness of wilderness areas. These canvases offer a sense of recognition. At one level there is a sense of recognizing location, while at another level there is a recognition of some universal emotion. Rough textures and loose paint application aim at increasing the immediacy of the experience. I paint in service of the wild places that still remain, For these are the places that speak to the emotions and values that make us truly human.

The unplanned shapes and color combinations of my abstract flow paintings tap into the realm of the unconscious more directly. Their appeal is thus less easily defined.

 

[Leah]

Hi,  I am an alumni from the last class.  I wasn’t able to completely finish the course the last time so I am taking it again.  Here is my Artist Statement.  I am concerned it may sound too sappy.  Please let me know your thoughts.

 

Family vacations, while growing up, were spent camping and visiting state and national parks. This is where my love of nature and wildlife began. During these vacations my father, a photographer, shared and instilled in me his deep respect for all animals and their natural environments. These early lessons never left me and I continue to view wildlife with a sense of awe and respect.  Painting wildlife is a reflection of my personal connection with nature. I strive to convey the thrilling experience of being in the presence of animals in their natural surroundings and the inner peace that is only found from spending time with them in their habitats.

I begin my oil paintings by doing field sketches and taking numerous photographs of the subjects and their natural environments.  Selecting the best references from these I create each composition to best convey each animal’s outward beauty, inner character and the life force that is unique to every creature.  My paintings are outward expressions for the awareness and need to preserve wildlife within their natural habitation.  Some day, if we are not more mindful of our impact on the natural world and its diverse inhabitants, paintings and photographs may be the only way we will be able to enjoy these magnificent animals. Hopefully my paintings help inspire the protection of all animal kind and their natural environment.

[Crista]

Welcome back Leah! Your artists statement reads really well.

 

But for websites it is a lot of information and I like to break into smaller paragraphs. I might suggest a break at “Painting is a reflection of…

 

And another at My paintings are…

[Deleted User]

Hi Leah

I also feel the shift where Crista does. Maybe if you could condense the first 4 sentences to three tight ones. It just feels a little too much like bio until you get to the “In my painting…”  Shorten, tighten and you’ll be good to go. Great statement.

[Leah]

Thank you Crista.  I like your suggestions and will go back and change it for the website.  Are you saying I should leave it as is for other purposes or use the one with your suggestions for all?

[mijwallace]

After the coaching call last night I got great feedback on my question and have rewritten my statement again, I feel much happier with this and further feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Having tried more traditional mediums of acrylic, oils and pastels, I always managed to get too caught up in the technical aspects of the process which prevented me from continuing beyond a certain point. I have found working digitally that I’ve been able to push through this barrier and continue the process allowing deep subconscious elements to emerge in my work.

In 2013 the end of a three year relationship left me in a dark place. My painting rescued me and took me on a bright landscape adventure. A palette of bright gaudy colours lifted my spirits and transported me to comforting places. Forests, the ocean, the desert, the city and even other worlds featured on my journey. Some pieces were a bright reaction against the darkness I felt inside, while others were a dark reminder of the precipice and oblivion never far away.

Two years after this period I had a yearning to subdue many bright colours in the palette and embrace some of the darkness within, with a series of cityscapes where it’s been more of a conscious decision, though always with the subconscious emerging later in the details. Despite these developments, I still return to the colour and warmth of earlier work, it’s an ever evolving journey…

[Majie Lavergne]

Hello all,

 

I would love to get some feedbacks on my Artist Statement:

 

There are two distinct streams in my art; Abstraction and Interactive Art. My interest in Interactive Art stems from my lifelong fascination with any art form that challenges the traditional rigid boundary between “artist” and “audience”. To me, it is enlivening when the “viewer” becomes part of the creative process and influences the outcome. I believe that there is an artist in all of us and that creating is simply part of life, of everybody’s life.

Inspired by my desire to help others tap into their own creativity, I have developed an Interactive Art Series titled “Re-Create”. Beginning from my own composition / configuration the viewer is invited to trespass beyond looking to touching and ultimately stepping into the role of artist / creator. With a multiplicity of combinations possible, this new “maker” moves a variety of shapes on a magnetized background resulting in their own unique design.

In my abstract work, I am interested in how geometric and organic shapes exist on a continuum and how they complement or oppose one another. This dialogue between the unplanned gestural raw movement and a decisive line or geometric shape is a fascinating dance. To enrich this tactile experience, I often use crackle medium, varied textural elements and intense hues. This slow, tumultuous and magical process of realizing an image, the embrace with life and its mysteries always connects me to Henry Miller’s words….”To paint is to love again”.

[Deleted User]

Hi Majie, I love your statement and the quote at the end is lovely and powerful. I want to know more about the new designs and what this inspires in you? How does your work make you feel?

Just a small grammar point, you only need the ” marks when naming your Art Series. Thanks!

 

[Cherilynn]

Hello Everyone!

I would love anyone feedback regarding my artist’s statement. Thanks in advance!

As an artist I am constantly observing the world around me, the crisp fallen leaves in Autumn against the bright blue sky, the urban landscape of buildings juxtaposed with the green trees, the colors at a fruit market. The world is filled with the interlacing of colors and we are continually reacting to them. While others might easily dismiss this interaction, I am energized by the relationships of color, texture, line and composition and our relationships to them.
These observations are an integral part of my series of pastel mixed media paintings called “Essence”. Each piece is created through the interlacing of colors, textures and line work in a very intuitive manner. My work brings focus to the subtle nuance of color shifts or the complete tension created from pushing complementary colors. I begin with thin layers of watercolor and acrylic paints, creating a compositional element. Once dry, layers are built with charcoal, acrylic and pastel mediums and then finally pastel; each color and compositional element reacting and interacting to the ones before.
My focus is on the process, the interlacing of spontaneous intuitive mark making and very careful intention. It is through the layering of media, a dialog is created between the artist, the painting and the viewer. Using the formal elements of painting as inspiration, I want to evoke atmosphere, mood and feeling that resonates with both the artist and the viewer. It is a conversation where the past and present merge from a sense of universal memory transformed through time and space.

[sandrajordan]

Hi Cherilynn

 

I like your statement, makes me want to see your work.  Just one thing, you have used the word ‘interlacing’ three times and it sounds a little repetitive, maybe you could think about using another word.

At the start of the second paragraph how about:

These observations are an integral part of my series of pastel mixed media paintings called “Essence”.  Working in a very intuitive manner I bring focus to the subtle nuance of color shifts or the complete tension created from pushing complementary colors.

Probably a dumb question but what is the difference between pastel mediums and then finally pastel?

 

[Cherilynn]

Thanks Sandra for your feedback and I love your suggestion.

As far as your question, Pastel is the soft pastel sticks and pastel medium is the acyrlic medium for pastel and sand grounds that I use to cover the underpainting so that I can paint with pastel on top of it.

[Beverley]

Hi Cherilynn,

I like your statement. It is clear and would entice me to look at your work. Well done!

Beverley

[Brad Rhoades]

Hello All,

OK, I shortened this from the advice on the phone call. I put it in the “first” person too.  I put a quote from a song at the end….should I lose this? Or keep it?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and comments.

 

My art is about escaping to a place or time where you felt like a kid, you felt safe, you still dreamed, laughed, you weren’t working every day and paying bills, life was fun, playful, filled with curious wonders, and you were still able to close your eyes and imagine you were on some crazy wild adventure.

I am influenced by artists such as Henry Matisse, Salvador Dali, and Vincent Van Gogh. My style is kind of like if Surrealism and Impressionism went on a date and had a little too much wine to drink, my artwork would be the result of this wonderful encounter.

Remember to keep pursuing your dreams because life is too short.

“There’s no time to lose I heard her say,

Catch your dreams before they slip away.”

Dying all the time,

Lose your dreams,

And you will lose your mind.”

• Rolling Stones, Ruby Tuesday

[Deleted User]

Hi Brad

I think if you feel the lyrics capture what your work is about, go for it. Make sure it’s perfect though, according to original liner notes. The only other point you might think about is reframing the opening part, instead of your art bringing back some feeling that is gone  (since we’ve stopped dreaming and just work all the time and pay bills now) phrase it in a way like your work captures those sparkling memories and keeps them alive, timelessly suspended, safe from having to ever let go or lose them.  Your work is really lovely and your color skill is wonderful.

[Vicki]

Thanks for your feedback, Lily! I will certainly change the order of the paragraphs.

[mijwallace]

Hi there, Lili, thanks for your feedback on the statement I wrote and the order tip, from the coaching call on Saturday i’ve created another statement which may be stonger, (see no2 below) can you let me know if I should choose on or combine them? Both you and Crista have been a great help and I think i’m close to finalising this 🙂

Statement 1

My love of the sea started with paintings of coastlines and the sea’s interaction with the land, the world beneath the waves has always fascinated me so I’ve explored this realm too and some of its inhabitants. Working in London has recently inspired me to create my own cityscapes and some versions of the city as I see them in my mind.

The place I was born and where I grew up were very different, from a fishing villiage on the north coast of Scotland to the wild beauty of Africa, where I lived for 20 years, a place unspoilt and rich in culture. Much of my work comes from those places and is mostly representative of memories or surreal versions of landscapes.

Statement 2

Having tried more traditional mediums of acrylic, oils and pastels, I always managed to get too caught up in the technical aspects of the process which prevented me from continuing beyond a certain point. I have found working digitally that I’ve been able to push through this barrier and continue the process allowing deep subconscious elements to emerge in my work.

In 2013 the end of a three year relationship left me in a dark place. My painting rescued me and took me on a bright landscape adventure. A palette of bright gaudy colours lifted my spirits and transported me to comforting places. Forests, the ocean, the desert, the city and even other worlds featured on my journey. Some pieces were a bright reaction against the darkness I felt inside, while others were a dark reminder of the precipice and oblivion never far away.

Two years after this period I had a yearning to subdue many bright colours in the palette and embrace some of the darkness within, with a series of cityscapes where it’s been more of a conscious decision, though always with the subconscious emerging later in the details. Despite these developments, I still return to the colour and warmth of earlier work, it’s an ever evolving journey…

 

[Deleted User]

Great job Mark and you’re right you are nearly there. I LOVE the parts about how making art makes you feel. You’re right, statement 2 is stronger but I don’t think you should apologise for getting too caught up in the first sentence. I think your second sentence would be stronger as your first explaining why you made a conscious decision to work digitally and why it makes you a fantastic artist! Almost there but it is important to get it to a place you are completely happy with.

[doug]

Ok here goes:

I just re-wrote my artists statement not as a poem but using that form to break it up and emphasize certain words. It is an experiment.

This is an artist statement that would be sent to a public art competition.

Can anybody understand this?

Thanks,

Doug

Artist’s Statement
Douglas Olmsted Freeman

Public Art lives at the intersection of art and community.

I begin with listening
To understand what the community is asking for.
What are your goals?
This provides a framework for ideas.

Next I take a comprehensive look at the site.
Observation
listening to stories, drawing, photographs
study of the environment
If there is a snail, a trilobite, a crocodile
or a mean guitar player
that lives here
I want to know about it

I call this feeding the muse.

I bring these voices and found objects back to the studio
for cooking and deciphering
through sketches and sculptural studies
seeking to give form to that spirit of place

Genius Loci
a symbol, a friend, a muse
a confidant
you decide
your interaction
completes the work

Public Art
finds a home
because it is drawn
from your home place.

[Deleted User]

i think i understand what you’re saying. i had to look up genius Loci. i would say your message is right in line with the feeling on your site. That it’s a creative process that starts with the client and once you have all that info from them i like the image of you retreating to your studio (i picture late at night, a la tim burton) where you ‘cook up’ creative ideas that bring a place to life. It might be just slightly poetic/spiritual sounding for a committee that going to invest tens of thousands, but if you are that guy, it’s perfect.

[doug]

Drew,

Thanks for your comments. Do you think the poetic form is going to help or hurt the message?

Doug

[Crista]

Doug, for what it’s worth – I like the format. In this instance I think it works.

[Anahata Ishaya]

Oh how beautiful Doug. I can almost see you doing more poetry and illustrating it with your artwork.

[Deleted User]

Okay here’s my first shot at an artist statement. I have a feeling it’s something that is always a work in progress..

For me, paintings are like journeys. Sometimes I know exactly where I want to go, other times I’m just out to see what I can find. But I never know exactly where I’ll end up, there’s always some mystery about it. Much of the time I am improvising, either trying to express specific feelings through color and brush stroke, or alluding to something in the world I’m looking at or have seen. In the end my hope is that I build even relationship between forms, against space, with line, that there is still room for the viewer to interpret, see different ways and be of interest to the viewer, myself included. And while I can help guide the work, they are individual reflections of what I’ve seen in the world and have a life of their own.

 

[sandrajordan]

Hi Drew

I feel I should start by saying it took me AGES to get an artist statement I was happy with! I only have a couple of minor comments and they are my own personal opinion so feel free to ignore if they don’t suit.

I would take the word ‘but’ out of ‘But I never know’. The sentence sounds stronger, more defined without it, like you like that part of the process.  I’m not sure about the ‘improvising’ part, to me it sounds like you are unsure of your artistry.  Would ‘I express specific feelings…..’ sound better? eg I express specific feelings through color and brush stroke, building even relationship between forms, against space, with line.

 

 

[doug]

Hi Drew

Very good opening “For me paintings are like journeys” then
“there’s always some mystery about it” These give the reader something to reflect on. I would leave out Sometimes I know… and But I never know exactly…
Remember they will see your painting too and there you have gone on the journey.

Doug

[Memet Burnett]

Born in Auckland, NZ in 1966, but living in Western Canada since 1971,  Memet Burnett is an emerging sculptor, painter, writer, film-maker and photographer whose work casts a whimsical eye on the natural and imagined worlds and the beings therein. Burnett’s artistic leanings began as a small child taking pottery classes with her mother and her hands have been filled with brushes, pens, crayons, sculpting and pin tools ever since. While getting her MEDes and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and subsequently raising her children,  she documented her life by camera and film continuously, which developed her eye for detail and story. Her Masters in Environmental Design solidified a profound understanding of her place in the world, and studying and working as a vet gave her a unique understanding of and love for animal forms and  psyches.  Largely self-taught, Burnett has taken photography, encaustic, figurative drawing and painting classes, as well as many ceramic sculpting workshops with such celebrated BC and international ceramists as Bob Kingsmill, Billy Rae Mangham, Elaine Brewer-White and Sarah Pike.

Burnett’s work is included in local, national, and international private collections. She has had pieces accepted into and sold through the juried Sooke (B.C.) Fine Arts show. She won “Honourable Mention” for her photograph “Symmetry” from the Metchosin Days Photography Contest in 2016.  She has had a series of articles published in the Metchosin Muse under the umbrella title “Wild Green Children” and has had numerous photos published in the same newspaper. She is a founding member of the Juan de Fuca Pottery Group operating out of the Westshore Recreation Centre. She also plays fiddle in Folkestra and leads a Ukulele circle: the Metchosin Uke Jammers.

Currently, Memet Burnett is working on private commissions, finishing her “Safari” and “Totem Animal” print series, and is preparing a new print series entitled “Travels” for future exhibition. In addition, her clay population of “Wall People” continue to grow with “Bacchus” and “Murray II” emerging from the heat of the kiln shortly. Her other ceramic tile art series “Play with Me”, featuring musicians from her life is also being expanded.

[Memet Burnett]

Oops– I realize that I posted my BIO above, not an Artists Statement. Though I have tried to edit/ remove it, that seems to not be possible. So here instead is an attempt at what was ACTUALLY asked for:

I have a deep-seated interest in the world and the polarities that bring it into rich being: natural/ fantastical, human/ animal, figurative/ landscape, technological/ biological. My art reflects this continual fascination with the edge that divides– there is beauty there, and humour. As a retired veterinarian who has dissected animals for my training and euthanized animals as part of my work, I feel called to bring something light, joyful and colourful into the world, to bring the world more into balance.

[Deleted User]

hi Memet

What do i know but i think it’s good. That is, i have never seen your work, but reading your statement actually made me very curious and wanting to see your art. And that’s the idea, i think.

[Memet Burnett]

OK. In lieu of a full website, which *may* take me a little more time than I have today, I have put some images up in My Gallery, linked to My Profile.

[Anahata Ishaya]

I love your colourful animal imagery Memet. Makes me want to get a pet again! I am full with the love you have for my country’s sentient animals as I am Canadian living in Christchurch, NZ, your first country and gobbling up every beautiful moment being here.

[sandrajordan]

Hi Memet, Do you have a website? I couldn’t see one on your profile, would like to have a look before I make any comments on the statement.

[Memet Burnett]

I do not have a proper website in place yet– just a blog really which is not very current and is geared more to friends and family than “the public”. Setting up an awesome, functional and informative website is something I am hoping to develop through this course actually! I appreciate that an artists statement without the art is somewhat pointless…(though that was what was asked for). I will see if I can get my blog updated in a timely fashion, or at least get some more current pieces up on it. It seems you are not the only one who prefers to see things before commenting.

[doug]

Hi Memet

I think your last sentence is particularly strong. Wonder if you added a sentence towards the beginning that would help us to experience what you are saying.
Doug

[Crista]

Hi Memet,  I want to chime in on your statement too.

I really like it. However, the words “dissect and euthanize” have the exact opposite effect on the reader that what you want your work to bring. You might consider abstracting it, for example, “as someone who has seen the worst of animal suffering” or something like that.

[terry.lee.crump]

Please make comments on my first go at an artist statement. My work can be seen in my profile/gallery. Thanks

Artist Statement

I paint the way I do because it gives me great joy. I revel in breaking the rules of conventional composition, giving negative space a place of importance, and hanging abstract art elements on, often incongruous, subjects. I love the development of visual chaos running rampant on the canvas. I love even more the exhaustive task of bringing all the painting’s components under control for a satisfactory result – the only thing that counts in art. There is no other way for me to paint.

Each painting presents its own unique challenges. Most often I forge ahead with only a flash of an idea or a snippet from life and slowly build the painting by working over the whole surface of the canvas. I continually add subjects, lines, shapes and color unconcerned with illusory representation.

Sometimes a fortuitous narrative creeps into play. Sometimes the only evident story is the process itself. Through it all, I have newfound freedoms and a heightened confidence to follow my creative instincts. My goal is to entice the viewer to find joy in my work and to take a second look, to find something interesting and unexpected, maybe a shred of meaning.

I have many art heroes. Those most influential to my current efforts are Gauguin, for his color sense, Matisse for color and composition, and contemporary Spanish artist, Jose Merello for his unabashed powerful expressionist work. I think there is room to develop some unique and creative expressions upon their shoulders.

 

[Deleted User]

Hi Terry thanks for sharing your statement. When I then looked at your work I couldn’t believe how magnificently colourful it was! It would be great if you could include some of this vibrancy and light in a descriptive way when you speak about your work in the statement. What inspires the different images and where does all the life come from in your work? I would love to know more…

[terry.lee.crump]

Thanks Lily for your comments and suggestions. I will try to work them into my statement.

[mijwallace]

Hi Memet, I agree with Doug, your last sentence is really strong and says a lot, perhaps you can put a couple of pieces on the gallery here so the group can respond to them, I’m curious to see what you do

[Beverley]

Hello everyone. I’ve had a go at writing my statement, see below. Many thanks in advance for your feedback.

 

For many years I worked as a journalist. I went out, conducted research and wrote about my discoveries. My artwork is an extension of this practice. It is still about seeking and recording, only now I use a camera rather than a notebook and I interpret my findings as paintings.

The camera helps me explore my surroundings. By being playful with focus, focal point and zoom, I find new details and angles that are not immediately obvious to the naked eye. Sometimes a photo works in its own right, and sometimes it invites further development as a painting.

Common threads to my work are colour and texture, particularly on surfaces affected by the passage of time. I look for these elements when out in nature, for example in the bark of a tree, in moss and lichen spreading over rocks, or ripples on a lake. They are also present in our urban environment, in a crumbling wall, in rust eating into corrugated iron or paint peeling off a weathered door. It’s especially pleasing to put together contrasting surfaces – the rough next to the smooth, the old beside the new, and the organic beside something man-made.

I bring out these elements using textured pastes with sand, lava particles and glass beads. These are layered with acrylic, oil and spray paint, which lead to interesting and sometimes surprising effects and colour combinations. Sometimes I add extra interest by drawing with oil pastels or scraping away paint to reveal colour underneath. My intention is to engage with our environment in the way that is most meaningful to me and to connect with others through my images.

 

[Deleted User]

Hi Beverley. Thank you for such a lovely statement.How does taking photographs make you feel? And how would you like others to feel when they are looking at your work? Thanks

[Beverley]

Thank you for your helpful questions, Lily. I feel peaceful and happy when taking photos, because I am searching for interesting things. I would like to share my delight in the visual world with my audience.

I will try to incorporate these ideas in the statement.

Beverley