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Desiree Lopez Artist Statement
I
consider myself to be a very shy person; I use my paintings to express an inner voice that is seldom heard. My paintings are
a visual representation of my imagination. As a child I watched my older brother create sculpture pieces out of my recycled
schoolwork; watching him create these marvelous pieces sparked my interest in art. Today, I aspire to become an art educator
so that I too may inspire artistry into the minds of future generations.
Being a full-time student plus working forty
hours a week makes finding the time to create artwork complicated. Somehow, though, I manage to do it. I recently have been
making my own jewelry out of polymer clay because it keeps my mind focused and creative. I also do a lot of sketches and use
water colors because it is an easy solution for "on the go" paintings. Although I love all forms of media, I consider myself
to be a painter, because most of my works are paintings. Paints are where I find the act of mixing and applying colors can
put oneself in a very relaxing state, where it is okay to make mistakes because you have the ability to cover them over and
begin again.
My favorite medium is acrylic paints because they dry fast and with all the new technology, I can achieve
the same look as an oil painting. Most of my artwork is done in small steps with days or weeks passing before interacting
with it again. My pieces are very imaginative due to the fact that I look at the content and technical aspects with fresh
eyes. I consider my artwork to fit in the modern twentieth century, as I believe I lack the fine polished look of the eighteenth
century painters and lean more toward the modern style of art, which is more imaginative and abstract than observational.
Artist books that have influenced me would be Lain Quan Zhen, which is oriental influenced landscapes, and Lee Hammond, which
is figurative drawings, both being technical books that help an artist learn basic procedures for certain styles. I use these
books as a quick reference tool to help me when I do not have a model to work from.
When I am creating a piece I first
put on music that I want to listen to. I find that listening to music helps me stay focused on my creating. I then decide
the size I would like the piece to be. I love enormous pieces but since space is limited, I usually work on smaller ones.
After deciding on the size, I get rid of the plain white canvas by covering it with spray paint, usually in black, a very
powerful color which represents timelessness and authority, blue, a calming tranquil color, gold, the color of royalty, or
my favorite color red. This is the most emotionally intense color as it represents love. I use it to attract my viewer's attention.
I cover the canvas with spray paint in these colors, since looking at a blank canvas is a little daunting. I prefer to use
spray paint to start a background for the reason that I love the free flow of the misty paint and the ability to use simple
objects such as leaves or stencils to enhance my work and create depth.
When creating a piece I usually become inspired
by something that I have learned, emotions that I feel, and the maniacal aspects of the human body. Most of my current pieces
are about being lost in your life. Being a student I found myself relating to the thought of having no real idea on what direction
my life is taking. Color, to me, represents life, such as tones found in nature. The life of a blooming flower is bright and
vibrant and therefore when I am creating my piece with human figures, it is mostly in black and white. Leaving them in these
dull colors shows the emptiness of their souls because they are not sure what their purpose is yet. For that reason I use
colorful abstract backgrounds to show that life surrounds them. This is to create a visual concept of being lost in a world
that is alive and vibrant. The imagery of my older pieces are based on the idea of spirits and the creation of life. I would
paint in an array of colors representing the imagery of life and the spiritual thought processes. I was not raised with any
particular religion but with multiple views on spirituality, therefore I create by combining those views with new ideas and
stories.
Looking at the two bodies of work I can relate them by the concept of the unknown or unexplained. I was able
to come up with this concept because I have been exploring the spiritual meanings of life to guide me through the process
of finding my purpose in existence. Both sources I have not yet completely analyzed. I plan to keep exploring these ideas
and polishing them for future pieces, this body is still not completed.
When people see my work I would like them
to give suggestions on how I could have improved my work so that they can better understood my ideas. Feedback is what fills
me with excitement and motivation. Positive or negative, the challenge of keeping people visually satisfied with my imagination
has always been compelling
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