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Artist Statement
As a young and very restless child, my mother would keep crayons and
paper
always at hand as it was the only way I would calm down and stay quiet.
The
brush came later, then I discovered I am truly at peace with a paintbrush
in my
hand. The brush seems an extension of my body and a connection to
my brain.
Whether painting pictures or the exterior clapboards of my house,
the brush and I
are one.
When my children were babies, I worked in watercolor as they napped,
due to
its convenience, and continued with that medium during the years
I taught art
in high school. But, something was missing. Finally, on a trip to
Alaska in
1999, I packed oil paints, canvas, a new easel and the old standard
watercolor
supplies. After a morning of unsuccessful attempts with the water
medium, I
made the switch to oils. I haven't looked back. I'd forgotten the
wonderful
fluid feel of the oils, the smell (a fragrance to me), and the time
that oil
paint allowed me to manipulate and change my mind during the painting
process.
I love the lay of the land and occasionally what man has placed
on the land,
so I paint landscape. I get inspired by that moment of emotional
rush when the
light, colors, and shapes, create an instant snap shot in my mind
and say ,"I
want to own this". The powerful Alaskan landscape around Resurrection
Bay,
the coast line of New England, the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont
and my own back
yard neighborhood inspire me. I do own the back yard! Even if I
never get back
to Alaska, there are my sketches, watercolors, color notes, and
uncountable
photographs to use for reference.
Weather permitting, I work plein air, frequently finishing the
painting in
the studio. I often paint one or two more scenes after a "working"
vacation
using photographs and color notes for reference. Currently, however,
until the
warmer weather arrives in New England, I am working on a new series
of paintings
from historical (late 19th cent.) photographs of North Worcester
County.
Many of the views are of long gone or drastically changed old mill
buildings.
View Louise's work here
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