Bio
Drawing has always been central to how I express my creative voice, both as a medium and as a process. It is a humbling experience. Every piece wrestles with the unknown. Where do I begin? Was that the right mark? When is the work complete? I’m captivated by human beings and the stories they tell in gesture, form and movement. I’m moved by the way human and animal portraits communicate emotion and purpose. They allow us to connect with each other, and with our deepest selves. I use my art both as a platform to start conversations, create spaces that build community and that feel welcoming to those who are underrepresented. Art is interconnected with representation, inclusion, and belonging and helps us in shifting towards a culture of equity and justice.
While a photograph captures the moment, a drawing includes a series of moments in one frame — the change in breath, the variance of light, the loss of time. A good drawing can sometimes feel as alive as the object itself. Because, in some ways, it is. Approaching art as a process in and of itself is a central tenet of my work, as opposed to fixating on what it “should” look like. For me, drawing is not limited to medium. It is meant to be a process of excavation that is discovered layer by layer, mark by mark, unfolding in ever expanding spirals from an individual work of art out to one’s entire life. I strive to bring a true sense of the subject’s energy and life to the pieces I create. My job is to look and to respond, letting what I see move me and touch my heart, and hopefully touch the hearts of my audience as well. I’m not creating a picture of the subject, but rather communicating how I feel about them. I believe we all share a similar longing — to find ways of truly expressing ourselves.
My artistic process explores the intersection of art with years of focused practice in meditation and Vajrayana Buddhism. I believe creative expression and the spiritual path are interwoven journeys. In my visual art practice, I emphasize working with the mind to remove the obstacles to creativity. Judgement is the main culprit and I feel artists must be constantly vigilant to its destructive voice. In teaching meditation, I am interested in exploring the confidence in spontaneous expression that can arise through spiritual practice. Unraveling the ego mind is both part of my artistic and spiritual path.
Long live the pencil,
Wesley
