“If you get simple beauty and naught else, you get about the best thing God invents."

 

Fra Lippo Lippi



My work is inspired by nature, particularly birds and other delicate creatures, as well as things that are mechanical and shiny, such as typewriters, street signs,& bikes. I enjoy bringing these elements together by thoughtfully balancing them as the foreground subjects in a painting. The subjects appear to float and are showcased apart from their natural setting to simplify their formal beauty, along with communicating a conceptual theme. My abstract backgrounds allow the foreground subjects to breathe, in that they are not tightly rendered, nor realistic, but they set a stage for another kind of environment. Juxtaposing the realistic subjects with the abstract backgrounds gives the work a modern tone on a colorful, vivid plane. I paint primarily in oil, but also enjoy acrylic, watercolor, and printmaking.

 



The conceptual ideas behind my work range from whimsical to thought provoking and spiritual. Living life abundantly characterizes the underlying meaning behind my work. Birds & butterflies represent this element of abundant life to me because these simple beauties are around us all of the time; if we pay attention, these little gifts can turn into heavenly moments in time to really capture, contemplate, & savor. Time stands still, the atmosphere changes, & gratitude floods your heart, when we behold, heaven reaching earth-- these are the moments I paint.  I appreciate painting delicate things, sparrows and wrens, to highlight their sometimes overlooked beauty. The wing of a butterfly, for example, in all is intricacies, fascinates me. Adding an element of life, a butterfly, a person, a bird, makes the painting come alive. My vision is to bring the viewer to this deeper sense of beauty all around, even in things seen everyday, & uncover true beauty within.

-Lacey Shelton