Artist Statement for Wendy Morris

"Art is a support system for life, not the other way around" - Stephen King

I create because it is a fundamental part of me that supports the rest of my existence.

Color, texture, pattern....I am in love with the natural world.  Often, I only paint a small part of my subject, which fascinates me more than the whole.

I prefer the buttery consistency of oils and the slower drying time allows me to play with the paint a little longer than other mediums. I paint mainly from photographic references in layers of thinly applied paint. The first couple of layers are monochromatic, allowing for additional luminosity. Sometimes the image will attract me and the finished painting will end up monochromatic. More often, my subjects are expressed in vibrant, surreal colours. Lastly, painting small makes me feel claustrophobic....most of my paints are large.

Periodically I experiment with abstraction - interpreting images, thoughts and feelings on canvas. These are painted in one sitting, some in acrylic and some in oil.