Cat Tesla
Snellville, Georgia
Acrylic, Oil Glazes and Pastel on Canvas
My work includes both ethereal landscapes and abstract designs. I am intrigued by texture, color and the juxtaposition of shapes. My interest may have started in childhood when my mother taught me to sew clothes for my dolls and (eventually) myself. I can still spend hours in a textiles store though I rarely sew anymore.
The subjects I choose to paint are organic, either originating from Mother Nature or inspired by her. My husband and I live on a lake 25 miles from downtown Atlanta in Snellville, Georgia, where the town's motto is “everybody is somebody”. I begin my mornings with meditation and yoga and then to my studio to paint. Landscapes emerge after applying a dozen or so thin layers of glazes over gesso. Viewers are often interested to know “where” the landscape I from. I suppose they emerge from my memories or the serenity of being in nature. One goal with my work is to transport the viewer into a realm of calm and respite, or perhaps to recall a memory of a favorite place or loved one. I strive to communicate what can only be felt, rather than seen. The world around us provides a constant and unending display for our senses if we only slow down to take notice. Though nature's seasonal changes are obvious and easily observed, it is the curling of the leaf's edge to reveal its velvety underside, the bend of the willow, the hues of the broken sea shells that captivate me. Centuries ago the Persian poet and mystic, Rumi, put it simply: “Observe the wonders as they occur around you. Don't claim them. Fell the artistry moving through and be silent.”
Paintings are often born from the proverbial blank canvas or small thumbnail sketches. My preference is to work without an exact plan and see what happens. I think this is the best way for the truth to reveal itself.
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