Orca Studio Artist's Statement

Orca Studio...

Artist's Statement

John R. Matthews

Photo by Al - Bellingham, WA - 2003

"When I get back to crayons, frogs, and skinny dipping, I'll have regained my youth"

Art has always been a personal experience where freedom of choice, and adaptability are a passion. There needs to be some sort of challenge to attract my attention. Along the way is a desire to pick up old crayons, catch frogs, and run butt-naked for a skinny-dip on a hot Summer day. It's a matter of serendipity. My mind, and my painting, has some of the same rational, and attributes.

The studio is a laboratory/workshop for experimentation and construction, all the while a sanctuary for reflection and refreshment, where I can work in a pair of boxer shorts (Pablo Picasso did it). My agenda is to get lost in the process of creating. The studio is a fun place to be.

I might be categorized a romantic abstractionist, or abstract romantic, for the most part. Primarily self-taught, I refuse to be boxed in by a "genre". Rather, I am absorbed with notions toward composition, value, and hues. Subject, and detail, are often secondary. I am a positive existentialist, not suffering from angst, but enjoying each day as "an artful romance with life". For me, doing art is a journey - not the destination.

I live with my wife, Sheryl, and our cat, Doofus, in the Lincoln Heights area of Spokane, Washington. I divide time between my job with an aerospace manufacturer, cooking, playing guitar, doing chores, auditing on-line courses from Yale University and, of course, painting. And, I enjoy a good nap.