I have always had a bio and more recently a mission statement, but I have never written an artist statement. It is something that I have thought of doing for a while now and I finally got inspired to take the plunge and create an artist statement for myself. Please feel free to comment with feedback. Thanks!
I am a professional artist, designer and workshop instructor. I paint original acrylic and watercolour paintings ranging from the whimsical to the realistic. I have my father’s eternal optimism and it comes out in the light in my work. My watercolour paintings are filled with light and life and love.
My paintings are mostly of nature which touches people’s heart in a place that brings them back to their childhood. The promise of an escape into nostalgia makes us smile and fills us with hope.
I love watercolours because of their purity and luminosity. The transparent watercolours allow the light to reflect off the paper which can make a painting glow. My favourite scenes to paint are in the snow which is pure and elegant on its own. Snow is natural to paint in watercolour because it is mostly the white of the paper. I’ve found a lot of joy in finding all of the different nuances of colour that you can actually find in snow and then making them come to life by painting in the shadows.
My acrylic paintings have a different nature altogether. I use vivid colours and paint brightly coloured flowers and leaves as my main theme. I like to start with the colour of my subject as a ground on the canvas and then paint the background around it.
While my painting styles are different for the two mediums, all of my work is about discovery. I am exploring the nuances of nature and discovering new ways of seeing the world. I often paint in the quiet. As my right brain takes over, time can pass without me even realising; when I get into the zone and I’m laying down the perfect wash, it makes my heart sing.
If you are interested in writing your own artist statement, you can check out these awesome resources:
How to Write and Artist Statement ~ by Molly Gordon
How to Write a Wicked Artist Statement ~ by Miranda Aschenbrenner
Kendra,
Beautiful landscapes. Not something I'm very good at so I appreciate when others do them well. Wonderful color and composition.
I love the leaves and berries (acrylic?). Fabulous. And your artist statement. I hate writing those, yours is lovely and honest.
Kendra I really enjoyed your blog! You come across as very real and natural and it shows in your beautiful art! Keep up the great work! Love it!
Thanks for the nice comments on my blog. I really appreciate your feedback. :)