Artist's Statement
My Paintings represent my personal response to my environment. My ideas are not whole but fragments of what fascinate me and are seeds from which my works begin to develop. As a result, although my works undoubtedly have roots in my daily living, they may be a good deal removed from reality; some of them may be quite representational while others become abstracts.
By exaggerating vibrant colours, entertaining visual textures and other elements of design I take my painting mediums beyond their traditional execution; into mixed water media, acrylic, collage and oil. A subject leads to an idea. Then it becomes an immediate cause for me to paint, ultimately experiencing fun and struggle of permutations and possibilities deriving from that idea. It is not so much in the final product, but in the process and struggle to bring all elements together to function in harmonious presentation in a painting, that I derive so much satisfaction and pleasure as an artist.
Galleries Representing My Works
As an artist, I found figure drawings to be one of the disciplinary and challenging excercises in ability to see things in different ways. Figure drawing brings conscious awareness of a mystical relationship between the artist and the subject. At the same time, I'm aware of mentally shifting my mode of information processing between the right and the left sides of my brain. It is a concious excercise in shifting my mode of seeing and gathering information about a subject.Most of all, it's fun and I do this once a week for three hours.
I have conducted many workshops on mixed media on either paper or on canvas.
For those who could not attend one of these workshops, the below is a rough summary of the process I use in reaching the finished result on paper, not on canvas.
Judging a Painting
Throughout an artist's life, one's painting is subjected to critiques and judgements; by the artist who created them, by public or by other artists. Often, I hear comments like "I don't know why xyz's painting got accepted in the show and mine didn't". Learning how to judge your own painting is crutial as an artist and when you do, believe in your own judgment.
In judging a painting, I consider the following criteria.
1. Technique.
It is granted that when a painting is submitted for judgement, that the artist knows the technical side of painting. Technique is just a means to an end.
2. Composition.
How are the elements of design used to organize and express what the artist wants to say? These are marks made by line, space, volume, color, shape, texture and value. Are these elements cohesively organized? Subjects are merely excuses to paint. Therefore, these marks need not match the subject. They must be re-created with qualities that resonate good design and composition. Composition gives the aethetic validity to a painting.
3. Uniqueness
Is there something of the artist in the painting, or is it merely a good copy of what's already done?
Remember that your judgment is more important than the opinion of others.
Georgia O'Keefe's quote echoes what I've written above.
"It is surprising to me to see how many people separate the objective from the abstract. Objective painting is not good painting unless it is good in the abstract sense. A hill or a tree cannot make a good painting just because it is a hill or a tree. It is lines and colors put together so that they say something. For me that is the very basis of painting. The abstraction is often the most definite form for the intangible thing in myself that I can only clarify in paint."
Helping Artists
A summary of items that might help a 'budding or even an experienced" artist.
The below is an expression checklist to help with your paintings.
1. Do you have a clear vision and understanding about the subject?
2. Have you fully articulated your viewpoint?
3. Have you clearly expressed your views on the subject in the artwork?
4. Are you using the right medium and techniques to express what you want to say?
5. Is the composition well suited to expressing what you want to say?
The Sakura Singers
Here's my other artsy activity. I've been a mezzo in a choir group called The Sakura Singers Society in Vancouver for ten years, and at present is vice-president of the society. The choir sings Japanese traditional and contemporary pieces. The society holds a major concert every other year usually performed at Michael J. Fox Theatre in Burnaby. There are many mini performances throughout the year. Their web site is under construction at the moment and will be posted as soon as it's ready for publication.
