2013
The geography of the landscape has always been a great source of inspiration for my work. Over the years, I continue to be drawn to the subtle patterns and the geometry of the various settings that I find surrounded by my existence. The vastness of the Midwest prairie or the expanse of an island out in the ocean provides that source of inspiration to move beyond my surroundings. I strive to find a continuum between the notion of representation and abstractions, switching from one to the other depending on the need to further explore the issues of painting.

The horizon line is always apparent in my work. It represents a place of rest and the notion of the beginning of infinity. It is a spark of a higher moment in attempting to capture the space and distance created by my perpendicular presence on the land.

In a world of increasing chaos and conflict, I strive to make works of art that reflect a sense of order and inner harmony. Maybe it is a tension beneath the calm and the landscape subject provides the focus. These are my marks. The creative act is a way of knowing and a process of seeing. As with most artists, working out the structure, relationship and the proportions in a piece is always a struggle to get it right. It can begin as a familiar feeling, but end up as something quite different and that is what is exciting.

I hope my works communicate warmth of spirit and suggest a sense of affection for individual identity and a love for a time and place in nature. An artist friend, Italo Scanga had a great way of expressing the creative act; “Inspiration had to pass through my reason, which could not do the job. So, I felt a huge pressure on my brain and my hands took over and are always busy doing something.”

May the inspiration be passed on………………..

Gay Held