Christopher O’Connor September Artist Statement

This body of work evolved out of a desire to paint freely from my imagination without the distraction or constraints of a reference photo or any physical objects. I paint from memory and in a very intuitive manner, working directly with the raw materials before me. It is just me, paint, canvas and my 30 years of experience.

The simplicity of this approach allows me to be genuinely innovative and dynamic. Because I have no predetermined destination to get to I can freely explore and discover novel, exciting compositions and curious and unusual color combinations. Combine this with spontaneously sketching anything that comes to mind and the creative possibilities are endless. By removing my self imposed limitations on my understanding of creativity, whole new curious worlds open up.

The subject matter that has emerged in this collection of works is in no doubt influenced by my deep love of nature and by the fact that I plant a wild and colorful garden every year. 

It has been tremendously liberating to paint in this manner. To allow curiosity and creativity to co-mingle is to allow your imagination to take walks down uncharted paths, leading to a deeper understanding of the endless possibilities within the creative process.