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 My work has evolved many times since college where I struggled to paint realism when abstraction was the norm. That frusration led me to discover my voice and express it through the many facets of nature. The initial inspiration for the subjects of my paintings comes from childhood. Many of my relatives owned farms on which my cousins and I would explore fields, barns, woods, and creeks making wonderful discoveries and finding treasures while totally losing track of time. Travel through the Rocky Mountains, Yellowstone, the Adirondack Mountains, and elsewhere enriched my visual vocabulary and experience, fueled my need to record it on canvas or paper, and became the cornerstone of my creative process. Ideas begin with time spent observing the environment, drawings, reference photos, and materials recorded in sketchbooks. They are the basics I rely on to complete a painting. I am drawn to create the moods and atmosphere generated by light, forms, and textures in the landscape along with birds or animals who are a part of it. Dramatic unusual lighting, strong contrast, along with color appeal to me through their powerful effects. Such moments in nature are fleeting at best, and I strive to capture them so the viewer may share what I have seen. I have focused on these moments continually, never losing my fascination with them. A favorite quote from Dante reads: "Nature is the art of God." My background in fine arts has provided a firm foundation in drawing, painting, draftsmanship, and design. Using this aesthetic I continually work to develop my personal technique using watercolor and acrylic. My goal is to create paintings that communicate the vibrancy, drama, beauty, and many contrasts in nature that we are all part of. |
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All artwork, content, and images © Kay Polito 2001 - 2015 |