Why I Create Art

Upliftment, Painting Installation, Acrylic on Raw Canvas
Videotaped by Frances R. Drew. 2006.
©2006 Mary Rush Gravelle (Installation)
©2006 Frances R. Drew (Video)

"If by producing art, the artist, pulls something of themselves from their very soul, and imparts it into the fabric of their creation, and if, as the viewer, it makes you think, makes you question, or moves your soul, than the artist has spoken to you and given that part of themselves to you, and you have unknowingly accepted it......both have made contact through art." – The Art Gallery Shop, Spain 

I wrote the following Bio in 2010 to explain my art making process. I think it speaks to the quote above.

My ARTIST BIO from 2010

Needing a change of scenery from the claustrophobic northeast, I moved to the expansive southwest from Connecticut to Silver City, New Mexico in October 2006.

I have exhibited my paintings in Connecticut, New York, Taiwan, Arizona, and New Mexico in open and juried group as well as one-person shows. I have had gallery representation since coming to the southwest in 2006. My southwest landscape paintings are showing currently at Tatiana Maria at 305 N. Bullard in Silver City.

Art Explorations

Invocation, Oil on Masonite, 16 x 20 inches.
©2006 Mary Rush Gravelle

Over the years since 1992, my art has explored the healing and spiritual aspects of art in the form of free-painting, delved into personal meaning and symbols in abstract formats, and explored the natural world through observing and painting the beauty and awe of the southwest landscape. My working media has changed over the years from pastel, watercolor, tempera, oil, acrylic, and mixed media.

My Art Philosophy

My philosophy on art is that art has the ability to tap into the higher plane of man’s existence both for the artist who is creating and for the viewer who takes the time to ponder its essence. I am more interested in creating beauty with an emphasis on virtue rather than delving into the darker shadow sides of life. My desire is to uplift and exalt through creation. To ride the ray of light is more challenging than to drop into despair and depression. To hold the light and joy for others to see, that is my job as an artist.

My Responsibility as an Artist

Embryonic, 30 x 24 inches,
Tempera on Paper.
©2001 Mary Rush Gravelle

I also feel a responsibility to create my craft on a level of excellence. This helps to impart the message with clarity since the viewer is not distracted with focusing on the flaws of execution. Beauty is served by offering a piece of art that is meticulously made and well thought out. If I am able to accomplish that feat, then purity and grace imbue the final product with simplicity and a voice that will be heard through the work of art that is felt on an emotional level.

My Inspiration

Post-impressionists Matisse and Gauguin inspire the bold use of color. In the past I drew upon inspiration mostly from abstract expressionist artists, Wassily Kandinsky, Joan Miró, Helen Frankenthaler, Jackson Pollock, Frank Stella; the expressionists, Marc Chagall and Franz Marc. These were gutsy painters in that they threw out the old school of realism and rules to pursue the deeper realms of art -- the inner life. Other artists that inspire me are Picasso, Matisse, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Klimt, Georgia O’Keefe, and Monet for their loose structure, use of color, and expressive brush strokes. Drawing upon the oriental brush painting experience, no stroke is a mistake. It is simply the stroke of the moment, not good, not bad. It just is.

My Bottom Line

I trust my intuition to inspire me. I am always surprised at the end result. The bottom line is – creating, especially painting, just makes me happy!

Sunlit Tree Outside my
Greenwich Studio Window,
Tempera on Paper, 36 x 24 inches.
Enhanced in Photoshop.
©2005 Mary Rush Gravelle

For Artists

What is your art making process all about? Why is it important for you to create art? What are you trying to say? What makes your art unique? I invite you to ponder these questions. Write it up in the form of your Artist Bio. This could also be translated into an Artist’s Statement.

For Art Collectors

Is it important for you to connect to the artist? Or do you buy a work of art based on your connection the work of art? Or are both of these factors equally important?

Link: The Art Gallery Shop, Spain, http://www.the-art-gallery-shop.com/index.php

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