Each day holds the promise of new beginnings – a fresh start. As humans and as artists, we must embrace transitions and find inspiration; new processes, ideas, chemical reactions. All living things must accept that change is a beautiful part of existence. Join us for Start Fresh! on view at The Kittery Art Association from February 1st through March 3rd, 2024.
Opening Reception: Friday, February 2nd from 5-7pm. Free and open to the public, refreshments will be provided. – – –
Also on View: Works by Spotlight Artist Jane Zeeb-McDonnell
Artist Statement: It took me years to feel comfortable calling myself an artist. I felt like I needed a degree to be legitimate. So I got one. I felt like I had to sell my art. So I sold some. But now I am comfortable just being who I am.
I am a creative person. That means I paint, I draw, I design things. I always feel my best when I am creating something and sharing it with others.
While I have worked in many mediums, I still find watercolor the most intriguing. I paint both plein air and in my studio. Both have their unique challenges and rewards. Plein air is raw and in the moment, influenced by the outdoor elements. Studio time offers the opportunity to play with the distinctive qualities of watercolor.
Being a watercolor artist for quite a few years now, I’ve collected quite a pile of unfinished or unsatisfying paintings. While not frame worthy, many of these paintings have some part to them that makes them worth saving.
Somehow I came up with the idea to cut up, or with the help of paper punches, cut out pieces of these old paintings and repositioning them onto other old paintings, creating a new, much more exciting version of the previous work.
Not quite being watercolor any more, nor traditional collage, I created the term reconstructed watercolor collage to describe both my process and the finished pieces.