Many have asked me about the story behind “Transitions”, my latest painting posted in previous blogs. After much thought I have decided to change the title to “Passages” which is far more revealing. I often don’t like to give people a detailed explanation about my paintings, as I don’t want to lead them into a specific thought process, but rather allow them to formulate their own ideas, based upon their own unique life experiences. “Passages” no doubt, means something completely different to everyone that views it. Having stated that, I do feel that a few words unveiling my thoughts might help to ignite a spark of an idea in others, and hopefully generate a discussion. So much of this blog has been about the technical aspects of my work, so now I will take a detour.
An artist’s inner world is often never fully understood by others – usually because his or her thoughts are too complex to put into words. My paintings in general are relatively simple on the surface. I respond to the visual wonders of light, shadow, color and texture. But I look for something more than that. Something which lies beneath the surface of all those visual delights. Something that stirs an emotional response in my soul, and hopefully in others. To me this is what real art is all about, and I feel that I’ve managed to capture some of that in “Passages”.
The painting is a portrait of a woman who is in a contemplative state of mind. She is questioning her own mortality as she witnesses the transformation of leaves, once fresh and alive, falling to the earth, where they will eventually decay. Is she distraught, or does she take some comfort in the knowledge that all of life returns to the earth? Perhaps she is feeling overwhelmed by the wind, an ever present reminder of mother nature’s dominating force. Life and death pose an inevitable cycle that occurs with the passage of time. “Passages”, therefore, could mean many different things. Time passes constantly, never stopping for a moment, just like the wind. Passages of light filter through the atmosphere, creating the prism of colors which reflect back into our eyes. Emotion, as well, is something that I seek to portray in all my portraits. Her eyes, hopefully reveal some of the deep emotions that I felt in creating this painting.
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