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ARTIST STATEMENT The Higher Calling
. We have a higher calling. That calling beckons us to the point where the creative impulse of the artist and the interest of the viewer merge into unity. Anyone who has stood in front of nature with a paint brush in hand understands the overwhelming flood of emotions that occurs. In trying to remember what the instructor has said, we soon realize that nature cannot be duplicated. One quickly sees that this thing called painting is much more than just making pretty pictures. As we look closely, we begin to understand that each person is uniquely created to make a demonstration that no one else can make. This is our higher calling. Mr. Whistler says, The artist is born to pick, choose, and group with science these elements of nature, that the result may be beautiful just as the musician gathers his notes, forms, and chords until he brings from chaos glorious harmony. The higher calling demands that we internalize the fundamental science of painting. We must go through the trial of study so that it becomes a part of us. As Mr. Carlson once said, You must mix brains with paint! Only then can we set this aside and get to the heart of the matter. We begin to interpret the moods of nature, as well as our own. It is well said that the learning never stops. Indeed. Nature may be apparent in our pictures, but the higher calling challenges us to do more. We must reveal ourselves. Gary Young
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