When I created the book, Art is Our Voice, I asked the artists to write about their thoughts on art, creativity and inspiration. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to include all of their responses in the book. So, I thought the blog was the next best thing.
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| David |
David has been coming to the art group for over 8 years. Clearly, his favorite art form is collage. He creates hundreds of collages every year to give to community agencies, friends, and businesses. David says he likes collage because he gets to pick out images he thinks his friends will like.
Mike has also been in the group for over eight years. He is the master of the steady hand. He carefully paints in printed images trying to capture all the detail. Mike likes to come to the group because he gets to paint, and sometimes sell a few pieces of art !
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| Mike |
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| Ray |
Ray gets his inspiration from the artists in the class. He says he feels joy and satisfaction when he makes art, especially collage work and painting. Ray is inspired by the work of Romare Bearden. . He also likes to see how the other artists work in the group and gets a big thrill from seeing what they're able to paint- be it a bird or a landscape.
Daniel has also been painting for years with the group. His work is often influenced by the sign painters in the Dominican Republic as well as the memory of landscape. When he was a boy his friend's father was a painter and he would often let Daniel help finish the project.
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| Daniel |
Maria is also from the Dominican Republic. She finds her inspiration from the other artists as well as art books and magazines.
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| Maria |
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| Dana |
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| Bob |
Dana is inspired by the work of Clifford still as well as other abstract landscape painters. Dana is also our gallery manager and assistant.
Bob has been coming to the art group since day one ! He is inspired by the work of John James Audubon. Bob has a great quote in the book about the art group- "I like working in a group. It is like a quartet, but you sing your own song. The purpose of my art is to reach out- if I can. " Bob sometimes has an idea as to what he wants to paint- but other times likes to go with the thrill of his creative process.
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| Bob |
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| Linda |
Linda is an avid learner. She reads extensively on many artists- i.e., Dial, Pollock, Basquiat, Rothko, Monet, Cezanne, Kandinski, Gordon Parks, Herbie Hancock, Aretha Franklin, etc. When asked if there was a purpose to her artwork, she said, " I wish to celebrate my experience of what is profoundly beautiful about the subject I chose to paint, whether it be human or object. " When asked if she expresses different feelings when painting, Linda had this to say, " Painting has given me back my ability to express very deep emotion. Imagine that. I was 59 when I discovered I had this gift at my disposal. Through the McAuley House Art show I found public recognition of my work that far exceeded my expectations. I'm 60 now and I'm looking forward to the rest of my journey, as a painter and photographer."
