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ARTIST'S STATEMENT
Born in the Netherlands, I am completely self-taught. I seriously studied the works of Rembrandt and Vermeer for years. Still do, but now I also study the Realism in works by other living artists who paint in the tradition of the Renaissance Masters. I began painting by copying the Old Masters, and for many years I mainly painted alla prima, but now I also use the indirect painting methods of the Masters.
At some point in time in my career as an artist, I realized that, while previously I was learning to paint, now I am painting to learn. This internal shift in perspective was a revelation to me. It represents a major shift - from acquiring external knowledge to acquiring internal understanding. For example, lately I have an obsession to better understand the qualities of light, air, space and dimension (in still lifes, portraits and plein air paintings) and how they may be communicated and expressed using such humble tools as paints from a tube, brushes and canvas. In other words, I continually seek to increase my understanding of what the Masters understood. This makes painting so exciting for me!
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As an artist, I am conscious of a strong, direct connection between my art and my inner world. Or, more correctly, between my inner world and my art since all my art begins its life as an idea. A wordless idea, an intuitive understanding of the unseen wells up from within, which then gives rise to my urge to express that understanding in a work of art. This is difficult, painting the unseen, given the limitations of using oil paints and a flat canvas. But therein lies the challenge and the fascination - the challenge of understanding how I may express the intangible in a tangible form.
I enjoy the mental part of painting tremendously, i.e. figuring out how to best translate my concepts or ideas through composition, use of light, color, paint quality and various oil painting techniques into a work of art. Over the years, I have found that being doubtful or arguing with myself about how to solve the problems of painting tends to lead to mistakes. To help me think with clarity, I have developed a special thinking technique I call Intuitive Thinking. In essence it means that, through awareness of my thoughts (and recognition of the source of my thoughts), I try to limit the functioning of my intellect to that of nothing more than a mechanism - basically just a tool - by which my intuitive understanding and insight can be realized on my canvas.
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Classical Realism is my preferred style of painting, however, I relate to Contemporary Realism as well. I love to paint portraits in the Old Master style, using the oil painting techniques, brushwork, color palette and chiaroscuro lighting of my subject in the manner of Rembrandt, Vermeer or Rubens. It always amazes me to see the inner light emanating from within the many - carefully crafted - layers of paint. Human skin, for instance, can appear so translucent and real that you can almost feel the blood moving through veins beneath it. It seems quite magical, when you consider that this sense of living, breathing skin can be achieved with something as simple and mundane as oil paints squeezed from a tube.
My favorite subjects are, and have always been, people. The challenge in portraiture is to discover the mystery - the truth - concealed behind the individual's outward appearance. And in fact, I also perceive a similar mystery concealed by the outward appearance of other subject matter, such as landscapes or still lifes.
However, because of habitual awareness of thought in my painting procedure, all my art is fundamentally about the beauty of light, as well as inner peace and tranquility.
That is why my art is Art for Quiet Contemplation.
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I invite you contact me, as I'd love to hear from you. I would like to know your thoughts and comments, your ideas or questions about art and oil painting, or if you have inquiries about my work.
Art by Maria J. Smith
The Artist's Atelier
1300 Kimberly Road, Suite 17
Twin Falls, ID 83301
Tel. (208) 734-3003
maria@artbymariajsmith.com
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Here are several links to my other web sites - you'll find their names indicate their content. Please visit again soon, so you can enjoy new works as they are posted. I appreciate your time and interest.
Thanks for visiting my site and viewing my gallery.
Maria
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