“The object isn’t to make art, it’s to be in that wonderful state which makes art inevitable.” — Robert Henri (Goodreads.com)
These are drawings and paintings that just happen or images that map my life. They are not entirely automatic in nature, but that is how many of these works began. They are the culmination of my life experiences, both high and low. My 71 years have been full and rich.
Like Robert Henri, Kandinsky, John Cage, and others, I believe my work originates in my creative spirit. Quakers would say, within the Light. I guess that is true, too.
I like the word “originate” because that is where it begins that original spark. I work on most of these artworks for a few days or more, thus the idea of Life Mapping. Each day affects my choices of color, strokes, and shapes, amongst other things.
Since retiring from teaching at a community technical college, where I spent most of my creative energy prepping for class and learning new technology, I appreciate the time I have now to focus on art—my own and others that have and will influence my work.
These works, which are included in this collection, were created during my third year of retirement. During this year, I drew and experimented with new media, such as watercolor and gouache. I am still drawn to keeping the size of the work small. The sizes range they usually fall under 6″ x 6″.
Other galleries will show digital art and artwork and environments created digitally with Blender, which I created in 2024.
Enjoy the show.
Bill