I'm beginning a new spectrum of my blog! Every now and then I'll be featuring an artist! It is my belief that creativity in all forms is a gift that needs to be revered and shared. It is also my belief that we are all endowed with forms of creativity to share with the world. And I embrace that concept here on my blog! So this is the first page in my journey of featuring artists and their work!
Today I'm very excited to introduce you to Patsy Gunn! I've known Patsy for a while now. She is part of my art group, Emotive Art, on Fine Art America. She's also a friend of mine on facebook. Patsy is a warm, kind hearted person and also a talented artist of integrity!
Patsy writes:
H
ello everyone! I am a visual artist and primarily use drawing as the foundation of my compositions because of its elemental nature. To inspire my greatest creativity I walk, preferably in nature. The act of wandering and drawing depictions of life comes naturally to me and I believe this is because it is part of our human heritage that dates back to the Paleolithic period. Using graphite as my base, additionally I work with pen and ink, charcoal and pastels, gouache and acrylic. Each of these mediums has a distinct quality which allows me to express the various feelings of human existence, such as, spiritualism, enthusiasm, bliss, melancholy, subtleness, and so on. It is the intertwining of these sensations with a subject that speaks to me.
I am often asked how long I have been an artist, and I generally say I was born an artist! This is because, looking back to my earliest memories from my childhood I somehow always knew that art and life were deeply intertwined in a such a way that I could not think of one without the other. I understand this interweave of art and life today as the inherent human flow of creativity into life. In all forms, it is a gift from the Universe that has, and continues, to aid human progression as well as our survival.
M
y artistic journey began at the age of six when I received my first set of pencils and a sketchbook. At this point in my life, this simple gift made me feel jubilant in the knowing that I could go anywhere I wanted to in my imagination. Although this is a blissful memory for me, my most joyous moment happened many years later when I discovered I could capture pieces of life with images and imbue them with the sensations of life. On my artistic journey today I continue to experiment with techniques that will aid in bringing forth the feelings that are present in life, because for me art is life.
Over time I have been influenced by many visual artists, but my favoritism falls to the Great Masters of the Early and High Renaissance period, such as, Brunelleschi, Ghiberti, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci. This is because this era of artists through the use of various mediums, styles, and symbolism interwove pieces of life, sensations, and secrets, into each composition, and this for me is humbling. Additionally, I favor some of the twentieth century artists, such as, Van Gogh, Rodin, Picasso, and Matisse. My painting Gravity, which I share with you today, was inspired by Henri Matisse’s painting, The Dance II. In Matisse’s painting, I observed how his use of color and fluid movement brought forth significant sensations that illustrate the processes of the human body as one interweaves with diverse currents of life impulses. Likewise, in my rendering of Gravity my use of color and movement demonstrates the interconnectivity of all living things being embraced by the dynamic rhythms of Earth and the heavenly atmosphere. If you are interested in learning more about this, Glen A. Mazis, in his book earthbodies, captures the profound meaning of Matisse’s painting as he discusses the unified interconnection of humans with the dynamic rhythms of the earth and the cosmos.
To all artists, whether poet, musician, writer, or visual artist, I believe we are all spirits having a human experience, and that being gifted with an artistic talent brings to each of us a responsibility. The responsibility lays in the fact that our creative endeavors may have a strong influence on humanity. So as we make art, I feel we must use our gifts in a way that is respectful to our interconnection to all others, the Earth and all its inhabitants. In my opinion, doing this is, and has always been, the artist’s way to contribute to the blissful preservation of humanity.
Where you can find Patsy:
Fine Art America: http://fineartamerica.com/artists/patsy+gunn
Website: http://www.arttatouille.com/