Why do I make art

Walks thru the woods were different before I started making art. It was just a walk. I did it just to hike and exercise and to reach a point, a finish line.

Things have changed. I now walk differently. I observe. I stop many times and look at the trees, the leaves, the texture and the color. I take pictures of the simplest things- well, they are not really simple. I am possessed by the sky. You may think I am crazy. But when you like painting like I do, everything you see becomes painting material. Everything.

"Tomorrow will be sunny" 6x8 pastel

So Nature inspires me. Its the center and focus that drives my art. Hence, I paint the landscape. Yes, I can draw other subjects. But the landscape has something that I cannot let go.

The first time I remember wanting to make art was bittersweet. I was suffering from bad depression for years, and was trying to find something different than my engineering job that would help me relief some of the ugly symptoms. I needed to concentrate some energy excess into something different. I took a class with acrylics to force myself to do the work. And it worked.

After the class I made the commitment to go back to pastels and move forward with it. And that was the beginning of the journey. About 6 years ago. And here I am, still moving.

Why pastels? Ok, I am not a very patient person. I like to get stuff done fast and even though this is not a good thing when painting, soft pastels allow me to draw and paint at the same time without having to mix colors. I don't have to worry about paint drying up too fast, or not getting the same color right if I ran out. I don't have to wait for paint to dry to fix a mistake.

Sunset in my neighborhood

The second reason is the color. I love brilliant colors. Pastel is pure pigment. Its not mixed with anything. Unlike oil - pigments dissolved in oil- and other mediums, soft pastel is the pigment in the most original state possible, that is the most brilliant pure form of color. And once you put that on paper, it never changes, it never fades... I could keep going.

I don't paint realistic landscapes. I chose impressionism because I feel more free when I don't have to make it look real. It doesn't have to look like a photo. I am always amazed at artists that can accomplish realistic landscapes but I honestly think its too hard and it would be scary - don't need more of that really.

In the future, I see myself painting definitely larger pieces. I am still trying to find my style. But I know I want to find a specific place in terms of audience, style, and subject in the short term.

I would like people who look - and hopefully buy - my work to do it because they are attracted to the light and dark contrast and the strong colors. I really don't see my work going to soft neutral color or just being "pleasing to the eye". I might hurt someones eye with too much color or by being too bold, but well... that person won't be in my audience.

Ruby and Matt