What is at the Heart of Wonder?
Jennifer Hoffman: As an artist, I am perpetually caught in a conundrum, compelled to capture impermanent and fleeting moments while being drawn to those moments specifically because they are so transient. The challenge is to distill the essence of that moment - to find the heart of that very complex feeling of inspiration, and translate it into two dimensions. For me, that search involves painting on location and in the studio; painting from life and from imagination. It involves experimentation with color, with pigment, with texture, with mark making and blending, with brushwork and finger smudges. It involves simplification. Using a variety of media including pastel and oil and cold wax, I hope to capture the elusive sense of wonder I feel in the natural world, and share it with my viewers. As John O'Donohue writes in his poem, For Presence, "May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven / around the heart of wonder."
Kathryn Mapes Turner: I am moved by the beauty of Nature as it provides those evanescent moments of inspiration and subjects which capture my curiosity and imagination. I then strive to distill this seed of inspiration to their essential, simplified elements. The results are compositions that are created with both a sense of disciplined refined technique and exploratory spontaneity. At the heart of wonder is the curiosity to explore presence. When we follow that thread it can only lead us to appreciation, which I feel is the motivation for each of my paintings. They are born out of a deep love for what I am experiencing in the Natural World.
Stephanie Revennaugh: I model form because it is the most natural way for me to express an idea or feeling. I model the horse because its form has been imprinted into my consciousness through long hours of interaction, focused observation and drawing. While I am fascinated with the beauty and elegance of equine design, it is the sensitive spirit of the horse that invites exploration of more abstract, deeper meanings.
As my work progresses I am interested in experimenting with unconventional materials and working on a larger scale. Master sculptors of the past such as Antoine-Louis Barye and Rembrandt Bugatti as well as contemporary artists Deborah Butterfield, George Carlson, and Dylan Lewis have influenced me to blend traditional and contemporary elements in a remix that is uniquely my own. The enduring form of the horse is the vehicle that connects my work to ancient history, modern life and on to a place in the future.
