art that inspires
art that inspires
A statement about me and my art
My work is about the euphoric feeling of being alive. It's about the energy and depth of the natural world. Perhaps these days you could call this a simple or naive motive but I experience it as foundational to our life here on earth. My work is not about cultural issues (let others do that) , it's about energy, light, and awareness - expressing my consciousness through the sensual medium of paint. Actually my work is innocent and raw - it comes from the heart; unsophisticated and intuitive.
What am I looking for in a work of art? To be thrilled, transformed, and inspired. To be shown something I didn't know before - to be shown something about me I didn't know before, something about life or the world or consciousness I didn't know before.
I want my work to transmit the euphoria I felt while painting it. It's not really a work of art until I get out of the way and let the Divine energy flow through me - to be a conduit for this energy, to paint something that I don't know how I did it, it just came through. When this happens I'm in the creative flow of energy and I want the viewer to feel this!
More thoughts on my painting
I am effected by, and respond to, what is happening in the world right now - but I find I am drawn to look equally inward and outward and realize they're actually both a continuum of experience. The inner and the outer comprise the experience of being a human. So I communicate this, this is what I paint.
More writing
I paint to express myself and my feelings of the profound and unfathomable beauty of the world. Painting is a mysterious process - I paint to feel the flow of creative energy that is always active, always flowing. The Muse speaks to me in the form of beauty, energy, and light and she is full of magic. With painting I transcend the rational mind, act from my intuition, and step into the deeper self to find where the creative energy flows. I open myself up to not knowing what the next step is, to not box myself in with analytical thinking, and listen to my heart. While in the flow I'm activating the imagination - I'm basically playing and comfortable with not knowing the outcome. My intention is to access the subconscious and paint from there; I'm looking for something authentic and new. Of course we all stand on the shoulders of those who have come before - but for me it’s important to not just copy the ground I stand on, but to learn from them, acknowledge my debt, and expand on their efforts in a new way. It's like building a thing that has no blueprint and there’s no reason to build it except that it's a cathartic experience to express myself, and it feels like I'm fully alive when I'm in it. This is healing for me and also I believe it’s healing for those that are attracted to my work.
Artist Statement Fall 2024
I’m not illustrating something through painting. My motivation is less rational than that - it’s much more visceral; I paint to feel the creative energy flow through me and onto the canvas. Feeling this flow for me is a peak experience. To enter this state the technique is to suppress thought and activate the imagination which allows me to intuitively bring the painting to life. I think this is a fancy way of saying what I’m actually doing is playing with paint! The act of painting is a creative experience and I feel the resulting painting is a unique being that speaks to the viewer.
Stephen Poling
900 West 7th Street Saint Paul, Minnesota 55102
Copyright © 2024 stephen poling art - All Rights Reserved.
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