As the grant period draws to a close, I look back at the past five months in gratitude to Creative Pinellas for their continued support of my journey as a professional artist. I am also extremely grateful to the jurors who selected my application for funding.
During the grant period, I produced a variety of work and explored the deeper meaning of my subjects. My painting style, which I call Abstract Precisionism, affords the viewer the best of both realistic and abstract worlds, because the subject matter is grounded in reality, yet my abstracted presentation of it welcomes new interpretations. Much of my inspiration comes from Salvador Dali’s approach to the psychology of perception.
I have used the bird as a symbol for transcendence, and even though this has appeared more often in my three-dimensional work, the idea of transcendence is still a direction I follow in my paintings. It’s an experience I seek to create for the viewer by offering a doorway to feeling the awe that comes through observing beauty.
In my blog posts, I also delved into the timing of masterpieces, and how it sometimes takes extended patience and faith to generate the energy to create new work. The time in between allows for new inspiration, whether it’s from being in nature, seeing live performances, or visiting other artists’ exhibits. Eventually, the need arises to share my work with the world, so time must be set aside to secure opportunities and prepare for new exhibitions. Ultimately, being a professional artist involves so much more than sitting in front of an easel!
Plus, when a hurricane is thrown into the mix, plans can turn upside down, and suddenly it’s time to revisit priorities. But, I do believe there is an unseen force of loving energy which seeks to guide us to the best version of ourselves. And as long as we keep that goal as a priority, we will always find our way.
I hope very much that you will plan to attend the Creative Pinellas Arts Annual Party on November 9, 2023, from 6-9pm. I will be displaying some of my newest work and would love to meet you. Also, please save the date of July 13, 2024, when my solo exhibition will open at the Morean Art Center of St. Petersburg, Florida. Thank you for joining me on this journey, and I hope to see you soon!
I will leave you with an excerpt about beauty and the force that lives behind it.
“Presence is needed to become aware of the beauty, the majesty, the sacredness of nature . . . To become aware of such things, the mind needs to be still. You have to put down for a moment your personal baggage of problems, of past and future, as well as all your knowledge; otherwise, you will see but not see, hear but not hear. Your total presence is required. Beyond the beauty of external forms, there is more here: something that cannot be named, something ineffable, some deep, inner, holy essence. Whenever and wherever there is beauty, this inner essence shines through somehow. It only reveals itself to you when you are present. Could it be that this nameless essence and your presence are one and the same? Would it be there without your presence? Go deeply into it. Find out for yourself.”
-Eckhart Tolle, ‘Practicing the Power of Now’
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