Human Elations and Tranquilities (whether it is for action or calm) are various paintings that organically possess similarities from my interest in famous and non-famous people doing fascinating, possibly odd things. In some cases, I may see a person experiencing something that I find interesting. For dramatic affect, I will exaggerate and distort its reality to emphasize a point. Leon Bakst, the Belorussian painter and costume designer, is a major influence of mine. Like Bakst, many times I use the constant elements of levitating-like movement and floating hair to show action. Facial expressions are a constant device I use to establish a feeling. I mostly create pieces that convey the positive feelings of enjoyment or tranquility.
In one of my more static pieces of calm, the artwork “Buffalo Meditation” shows the symbiotic reliance between man and beast. A girl and a buffalo take a break from plowing. She takes a standing meditative position on the back of the buffalo, which also gives the buffalo a back massage. The colors are tranquil and all of the lines are soft to impart a peaceful feeling in the viewer.
