Björn Runquist
Art does not reproduce what we see; rather it makes us see
- Paul Klee
Art is all about poetry, about vision, about seeing the ordinary as poetic, and then communicating that vision. That is the artist’s job
- Ian Roberts
My painting is a coming together of the bliss of paying attention and the pleasure of making. There are many moments in a day that we all know are special: sun rise, sun set, or the moment of cresting the hill to see the harbor spread out before you or that morning when the apple blossom opens and changes from pink to white. But every moment can be special when you are truly paying attention and that is what painting is all about. “The miraculous found within the ordinary” This year’s show continues to explore that idea through a variety of scenes and techniques, from precise brush work to loose palette knife scrubs. The pleasure of using real things - a favorite brush, the sensuousness of oils, and the texture of canvas, paper or board are an important part of that process. Painting for me is an act of engagement in the present. They are moments of peace in a world on fire. May they bring some peace to you as well.
Plein air painting occurs within the narrow framework of being outside in a particular time and place. I love that. But no less powerful is what happens in the studio afterwards. The studio involves a critical evaluation of what happened outside. Often, there are key adjustments that escaped me at the moment. Sometimes there is little to change and other times, any and all adjustments make it clear that I simply missed the mark. And so I start again in a continual affirmation that next time might work, that this thing that so moved me might be within my grasp. It matters little whether it is a panoramic vista or a small corner of the garden. The engagement with that small piece of being alive is at the center of each painting. The daily act of attention and thankfulness that is my practice in painting is, in current times, more necessary than ever.
