Artist's Statement
“I have always felt a companionship with nature and have been drawn to the great outdoors. Whether it is an interesting rock formation or a lonely, forgotten road, it speaks to me. However, more than subject matter, color and light are what excite me about painting. When the light is right and the color harmonies are working, a painting can be found almost anywhere in nature. Very often an intimate view of something right at your feet can be more breathtaking than a panoramic view.
I like to paint rather swiftly in an impressionistic manner to avoid becoming too tight and overworking my surface. Once I have my darks and lights established, I apply one spot of color next to another until my subject emerges. The most exciting thing to me is to capture the essence of light through the use of juicy, unadulterated color.
When I’m really into painting, it’s a beautiful experience between the medium and me. The painting seems to flow with little conscious effort on my part. There is effort, but it is as if I am on a different wavelength. I find myself whistling nearly every time I am winding up a painting. That has been my signal to watch out… I’m nearly through.
It is always amazing that others can experience the same emotion in viewing a painting as I feel when painting it. I’m glad that art isn’t just a private drive of self-expression, because, if others couldn’t travel with me, it would be a lonely road to nowhere.
Judy Pelt, PSA, KA