Clovis
Clovis with his work, “The Bright Side”
Artist Statement
In June of 2004 I woke up at 3:00 am, thinking I should be an Artist. I had not painted yet, but already knew what my art would look like. Being totally untrained, I adopted unconventional painting techniques, painting with the wrong kinds of brushes, etc. But my paintings grew larger and my brush strokes grew longer. I began to master these approaches, making my work more recognizable. Over time, I developed what I call the ‘uninterrupted brush stroke’. The brush does not leave the canvas until it hits another stroke, or goes off the edge of the canvas.
I fancy myself as an innovator, refusing to believe that everything has already been done, as I move forward into multiple fresh new directions, leading to my innovations including: Multifunctionalism, Variationism, & Mutualism. Maybe because I was always around the ocean growing up in Southern California, in 2005, I painted a minimalist ocean horizon, just sky and water. At that time, other Artists would coach me, telling me that there is no subject in my paintings. But I was thinking of true abstract minimalism, but ocean themed. I began to realize that there WAS a subject, but it wasn’t the water or sky. The subject was the edge of the earth. It became about the viewer, and the way the edge of the planet makes us feel. It’s about that intimate alone moment, that “ahh moment” when you feel perfect. After thousands of hours of practice, the oceans became more powerful and recognizable.
For me, everything is an expression, and realism is not the point. Beauty and inspiration are the intended result. Now that I have painted for many years, I feel that my life is not about MY art, as it IS about inspiring others to be inventive, try new things, use their gifts, find their passion, & dream.