As for the craft of painting of landscapes, the road is a simple and effective device that gives a painting a sense of depth, a straightforward way to catch the eye and draw the viewer into the painting. We painters are dealing with the illusion of depth on a two dimensional surface, so anything that reinforces that feeling of distance is prized.
I am not a symbolist, though my first serious art teacher most definitely was. Everything in his art spoke in layers of meaning, with references to traditional European symbolic vocabulary, mostly derived from Christian iconography. I prefer that my work stand for itself, if you know what I mean. Painting is a visual medium, and interpretations are ambiguous and individual. As a dear friend of mine often says, humans are meaning making machines. Artists do what we can to convey a feeling or perhaps an idea. We want to share the things we feel passionately about. But how our work is apprehended is out of our hands.
Regardless of my intention to paint pictures that dispense with symbology, roads and paths naturally evoke a sense of longing, mystery or nostalgia, and can spur contemplation. The road beckons one to ponder the journey ahead. Roads and paths often refer to personal growth and transformation, as in Robert Frost's poem "The Road Not Taken," which contemplates the choices in life as represented by two diverging roads. The Yellow Brick Road in L. Frank Baum's "The Wizard of Oz" is a journey of self-discovery. The road trip is a staple of countless films, "Little Miss Sunshine" being a recent example.
The pathway as a transformative journey of the soul finds expression in religious and spiritual contexts. "The Way” refers to the path of faith and salvation, where thousands of pilgrims walk "El Camino" (literally, the way or path), across Europe. Walking to Mecca is the ultimate expression of faith in Islam, while the Eightfold Path represents the route to enlightenment for Buddhists.
Maybe I don’t even know why I choose to paint what I paint. To date, this page shows 67 road/path paintings (with one pickup truck that is ready to hit the road). And there’s probably more where that came from. I had stopped painting roads for a few years when it started feeling like a crutch. As I’ve gotten older, I don’t question my reasons so much. I just paint what wants to come out.
Note: Many of these images may be ordered as giclee prints on paper, stretched canvas or wood panels.
I am not a symbolist, though my first serious art teacher most definitely was. Everything in his art spoke in layers of meaning, with references to traditional European symbolic vocabulary, mostly derived from Christian iconography. I prefer that my work stand for itself, if you know what I mean. Painting is a visual medium, and interpretations are ambiguous and individual. As a dear friend of mine often says, humans are meaning making machines. Artists do what we can to convey a feeling or perhaps an idea. We want to share the things we feel passionately about. But how our work is apprehended is out of our hands.
Regardless of my intention to paint pictures that dispense with symbology, roads and paths naturally evoke a sense of longing, mystery or nostalgia, and can spur contemplation. The road beckons one to ponder the journey ahead. Roads and paths often refer to personal growth and transformation, as in Robert Frost's poem "The Road Not Taken," which contemplates the choices in life as represented by two diverging roads. The Yellow Brick Road in L. Frank Baum's "The Wizard of Oz" is a journey of self-discovery. The road trip is a staple of countless films, "Little Miss Sunshine" being a recent example.
The pathway as a transformative journey of the soul finds expression in religious and spiritual contexts. "The Way” refers to the path of faith and salvation, where thousands of pilgrims walk "El Camino" (literally, the way or path), across Europe. Walking to Mecca is the ultimate expression of faith in Islam, while the Eightfold Path represents the route to enlightenment for Buddhists.
Maybe I don’t even know why I choose to paint what I paint. To date, this page shows 67 road/path paintings (with one pickup truck that is ready to hit the road). And there’s probably more where that came from. I had stopped painting roads for a few years when it started feeling like a crutch. As I’ve gotten older, I don’t question my reasons so much. I just paint what wants to come out.
Note: Many of these images may be ordered as giclee prints on paper, stretched canvas or wood panels.
