|
Marty Whaley Adams
|
Imagination is more powerful than knowledge
--Albert Einstein
My artwork is created from the heart, inspired by a perpetual wonder at the present and by memories, both personal and collective, of the past. Fortunately, I enjoyed an intensely stimulating childhood, growing up in Charleston, the surrounding sea islands, and up-country mountain retreats. My recollections include colorful gardens, peaceful marsh-land panoramas, beautiful gardens and colorful interiors cherished by generations of my family. My mother and her mother were both painters and gardeners and taught me to see the nuances of color in nature.
The paintings (oil, watercolor, monotypes, and multiple editions) that I create capture both
the beauty of the moment and multiple layers of memory. Images of flowers arranged
in antique vases, fruit spilling over from aged porcelain bowls, sun-lit pine and palmetto
trees, and blooming camellias capture what is timeless about these familiar sights.
Largely self-taught, I have developed my own unique style and methods of working. I am particularly inspired by the technique of monotyping* which calls for a spontaneity similar to that of the French Impressionists working en plein air. Critics have identified qualities in my work that remind them of Vuillard, Bonnard and Matisse. I certainly share with these artists a joy in the simple beauty of the home and in nature’s bounty, and a desire to capture the miracle of the moment in vibrant works of art.
*Monotyping is a technique in which the artist paints on a hard surface which is then passed through a press, leaving a single, unique impression of the original painting printed onto a sheet of paper.
|
|
Return to artist's page
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
