My favorite subjects to paint are landscapes and people. Not only does the landscape have its own natural beauty, from its dominating mountains and rugged coastlines but also has the ability to evoke deep emotions within us. A cloudy day can produce a feeling of tranquility, or feelings of loneliness, all produced by the hint or color of the flick of a shadow. The lines of time upon a person's face are spectacular to me. I look at each line and see it as an author must see a chapter in his or her book. It is inspirational. A person's face is a mirror of his or her existence, each line a chapter, the whole being making up the book. I study faces. I paint people who have something that illuminates within them.
My favorite medium to use is oils. I enjoy the glistening of the oil when the light hits the canvas. I like to paint using vibrant colors and to focus on the strong contrast of light and shadow. My paintings have many layers of paint, stroked with textures produced by using a palette knife or a brush which adds different dimensions.
My inspiration to paint stems from my love of nature, people and from years of traveling throughout many countries and my love of adventure. My desire is to create paintings that capture "the essence of a moment", and a sense of harmony. For me, painting is a time of relaxation. It is my time to reflect on the world that surrounds me and connect with it in my own special way.
I always say, if a painting can capture a person just for a moment, long enough to stop and enjoy it, then the painting has done its job.
Marty Dwyer
