B R U C E P A R K
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a v a i l a b l e w o r k :
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A R T I S T S T A T E M E N T
My work reflects the beauty and wonder that nature has to offer us through its dynamic forms and diverse color. Living in Montana, with wide-open spaces of land and sky, it is hard not to have it affect you in some way. I find I cannot copy nature; instead I need to play with the natural forms and color to create my own landscape. By doing this I believe I can express my true feelings and compliment nature rather than merely reproducing it.
Trying to capture the subtle and harmonious relationships between the natural forms of the earth has proven to be my biggest challenge. I start by concentrating on the abstract beauty of the landscape, moving and playing with just the shapes of trees, clouds, mountains, until there is some harmony. Then, the layering of color begins. As the drawing develops, I make little attempt to control the textures.
Part of the excitement of working with pastels is allowing the textures of trees or fields to create themselves; this keeps the piece a mystery to me until completion. The chalk pastel becomes more diverse the longer I explore the medium. Working with 20 to 45 layers of color almost any variation of hue can be created, achieving extremely subtle changes to bold contrasts, yet maintaining an overall harmony. Unlike painting, without destroying the paper a chalk drawing cannot be drastically changed once you’re halfway through. Saturating the paper with pigment imposes a limitation, but also poses a challenge that drives me to continue to use the pastel.
Like pastel drawings, I use a similar approach in oil painting to capture the interplay between light and abstract form. I start by finding a natural harmony to the shapes present and proceeding to layer colors. Over the years the techniques I have described have evolved enough to express my personal vision of the world. Even though my landscapes are more of the mind, they’re directly influenced by my continual treks through the wilderness. Even here in Montana, the adulteration of the environment is becoming more prevalent.
I hope the creations I present can at least provoke an environmental awareness in viewers, perhaps even inspire them to help promote preservation according to their own spirit and talents.
Trying to capture the subtle and harmonious relationships between the natural forms of the earth has proven to be my biggest challenge. I start by concentrating on the abstract beauty of the landscape, moving and playing with just the shapes of trees, clouds, mountains, until there is some harmony. Then, the layering of color begins. As the drawing develops, I make little attempt to control the textures.
Part of the excitement of working with pastels is allowing the textures of trees or fields to create themselves; this keeps the piece a mystery to me until completion. The chalk pastel becomes more diverse the longer I explore the medium. Working with 20 to 45 layers of color almost any variation of hue can be created, achieving extremely subtle changes to bold contrasts, yet maintaining an overall harmony. Unlike painting, without destroying the paper a chalk drawing cannot be drastically changed once you’re halfway through. Saturating the paper with pigment imposes a limitation, but also poses a challenge that drives me to continue to use the pastel.
Like pastel drawings, I use a similar approach in oil painting to capture the interplay between light and abstract form. I start by finding a natural harmony to the shapes present and proceeding to layer colors. Over the years the techniques I have described have evolved enough to express my personal vision of the world. Even though my landscapes are more of the mind, they’re directly influenced by my continual treks through the wilderness. Even here in Montana, the adulteration of the environment is becoming more prevalent.
I hope the creations I present can at least provoke an environmental awareness in viewers, perhaps even inspire them to help promote preservation according to their own spirit and talents.
