Artist's Statement: In Contrast
The mixing of dark and light, sunlight and shadow, yin and yang, is what
I like. I do that by drawing with black archival ink pens on white acid
free paper. High contrast, intricate design and thoughtful composition
are juggled about with directions from my muse in an effort to create
an artful picture. In some of my pictures the line plays a more prominent
role. In others, figures and backgrounds are placed within the composition
for contrasting effect. Finally, I sometimes create a less representational
work by filling the white field of paper with intricate patterns, textures
and designs. I have found that the repetition of a tiny shape will create
a texture or pattern that may appear soft, sharp, harsh, empty, infinite,
joyful, and more.
I make use
of those textures and patterns in almost all of my drawings, but in some
the line plays a greater role. For example when drawing pictures like
Sweetgum, Oak, and Hickory Leaves I tried to suggest an ephemeral
beauty inherent in the shapes and lives of leaves by using texture less
and the line more.
When figures
emerge in my drawings they are defined in stark contrast to a background.
They may be light as are the hands in Dupuytrene’s Contracture,
or dark as the crows in 1/1/11. The object in any case is to create high
contrast. It seems to me that both the dark and the light are enhanced
when side by side, each benefiting from the distinction.
Some of my
work is less representational. Edisto Beach was drawn shortly after
I visited that beach for the first time since my teen years, and I think
the imagery reflects the pleasure, the pain, and the fear that were part
of my earlier experience of the place. Seeds and Wind is another
mix of black and white filling the page. The shapes, patterns, and textures
in that picture are mixed in a way that I hope suggests the motion of
the wind – a life force at work.
I am self taught, but I have a passion for drawing that is matched only by my passion for looking at art. Some of my favorite artists are: Joan Miro, Wassily Kandinsky, Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol and Ellsworth Kelly . I regret that I don’t have more years to work at being an artist. But, at the end of the day, I hope I have created an artful combination of black and white that mimics the often stunning contrast I’ve experienced in people and places I have known.
Nancy Wyman Ray
803 327 7938
raynat@comporium.net