"Blooms and Buds" - 18x18

Artist’s Statement

It gives me joy to create art that is enjoyed by others and at the same time lets me continue to grow and expand and evolve. I want my paintings to express that joy I have with the act of putting paint from brush to canvas. I strive to show this through my use of line and color. I am currently focusing on my love of flowers and plants and their beauty, rhythm, and colors.

I use acrylic paint for its consistency and versatility. In the past I have used a lot of water with the paint for a very washy effect but currently I have found that using a little heavier paint and layering colors lets me achieve the look that I desire. I also do not start with a white canvas; I have discovered a brand of gesso that comes in a wonderful range of colors and that is my background. It gives the canvas a nice surface on which to draw and when I apply my paint I sometimes let the background color bleed through. It sets the tone for the whole painting.

I visit gardens and conservatories and take many pictures with my digital camera to use as references for my paintings. I am able to zoom and crop the images on my computer to come up with the desired compositions. I look for shapes, both positive and negative, when deciding on what to paint. I am not always true to the colors represented in the photos and do a lot of decision making along the way as to background, flower and foliage colors.

I am inspired by the colors of Matisse and Gauguin, the linear flow of Van Gogh, and the brilliance of Cezanne.

There has never been a time that I have not thought of myself as an artist.

- Kathy Guzman