I was raised in a simpler era. Didn’t know it then. You played outside with your friends. Played chase without gunshots or 
someone really chasing you. Rode your bike without a helmet. Street lights came on, you went home. Ate dinner with your family and talked. Actually talked. Finished your homework, watched some TV (together) and went to bed. Mom came up to kiss you goodnight. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
Unreal? Yep. My father just turned 80 and I reminded them both (father was an Engineer – Mother still paints) how very fortunate I was. I felt loved. I felt safe.
Today? I struggle to watch the news. This is where we’ve arrived. Fast.
What I do? I create paintings that erase all that. Fast. It’s the new drug without side effects. And you won’t find it advertised between Breaking News stories…
My current palette plays with green and blue. I apply multiple layers of color (10-20). Each layer receives its own special treatment; curing and manipulating with variations of heat and sanding. Addition and subtraction. Simple math applied to complex but serene, calming meditative art. It’s not rare that initial layers reveal themselves in the end. In THE JOURNEY TO LIGHT, I create a billowing mass of organic shapes that catch your eye, only to discover that they’re welcoming puddles to play in. The movement shifts and becomes less disruptive moving upward toward a distinct stretch of light, releasing tension and allowing the senses to reset and follow the safety of a soft welcoming horizon.
That’s what I see. That’s how I feel.
You can take your time and make it a journey. You can play in the puddles along the way. It’s not division. And I assure you that it’s not the blue light from your smartphone. It’s hope.
Paul Shampine 