Conrad Kaufman
Artist Statement
“This collection of paintings are an exercise. They are acrylic paintings on panel all representing a hill at the Chipman Land Preserve. Many years ago I photographed this hill daily for a year so I have a lot of reference photos. I have done over 60 paintings of this hill and I know it well. I will draw the image the night before and then think about it; plan the approach, the colors, the process. I then give myself one hour to paint the scene using only a number 8 or 10 bright brush. And why would I do this to myself? To spend an hour of very focused attention on a painting is fun and makes me happy–both qualities in limited supply. To spend only an hour on something that usually turns out pretty cool is a delight and personally fulfilling. There is an energy in this focused time that, I believe, gets diluted when I rework the image to conform to some idea I have of a “finished” painting. These paintings represent raw energy! A large brush forces me to be very efficient with paint application, to be concise with color mixing and application, to not dawdle. And forces me to maximize the detail that a large brush can provide….and when the hour is up, it is done!”
Venues
