18"x24", Colored Pencil, April 2015
Artist Statement (Featured in University of Kansas LibArt Gallery 2015-16):
Artist Statement (Featured in University of Kansas LibArt Gallery 2015-16):
As an artist, I work to create art that stimulates thoughts, memories and questions through an attempt at hyperrealism. My fascination with art lies here as I strive to produce pieces that resemble photographs. This goal inspires the hard work it takes to measure, analyze and think about each line, color, highlight and shadow. I have learned the importance of valuing each of these components with time and patience.
The process for my artwork begins with a photo reference that sparks an emotion within me. A picture of my father, the mountains from my hometown or, in this case, a motel my family used to stay at when I was little. As an artist, it’s important to balance the ‘how’ and the ‘why’. How to physically make this piece resemble the photo is just as crucial as asking why I picked it in the first place. The connection between how and why is the reason behind successful art. It is attractive because of the color, line and shape, but it is successful because it is meaningful.
Colored pencils helped capture the essence of the motel sign in a way that links medium with content. The pure, solid colors in the photo were best translated with the use of colored pencils because they are perfect for tiny details in highlights and shadows. As forms become emergent with the use of color, the viewer is left with an imprint of a memory.
