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Color, An Artist’s Tale: Paintings by Virmarie DePoyster
October 28, 2014 – February 15, 2015
Writers use words to set a mood, describe and illustrate. As a visual artist, color is my
silent narrative. Without words, the slightest color I observe holds information, molds
my human experience and translates into my work. Daily, I am intrigued by the black
red in the coffee beans that starts my morning, the hot pink lines in my lettuce leaves,
and the brilliant blue and gold in my daughter’s eyes as I tell her goodnight. Rather
than seeing the dominant colors in life, it’s the hint of bold colors that catch my eye
and heighten my human experience. Small amounts of green and purple in storm
clouds speak of loss and abandonment, while bits of pink and orange in a sunset
quietly whisper that happiness is a choice. Like a great story, color draws me into
my surroundings, makes me linger and tells my story.
In these pastel works on paper, color is a technique, a tool, a language used to
emphasize the meaning of my current human experience. Each piece begins with a
design concept, a thoughtful selection of paper type and some surface preparation to
produce an intended texture on final work. My process is intentional, yet flexible and
expressive. The color combinations in each piece are carefully chosen to communicate
an overall mood. With both spontaneous and strategic strokes of my pastel, I
incorporate lines to create movement and show the oneness and awe I feel in
experiencing the Arkansas landscape. These paintings, however diverse, are unified
by abstracting the subject matter, manipulating shapes, and combining colors that
evoke an emotional response. These works beckon the viewer’s eye toward a focal
point revealing wistful longing for things past, deep appreciation for my rich heritage,
and joy in my current surroundings.