Inspiration for my paintings comes from the
movement of free flowing water. The torrent of water falling and
cascading in a glen, the foaming and splash of it, make a magical
symphony. There is awe in the power of water to alter rocks and sustain
life. This is what draws me to sketch, to contemplate and to paint the
natural landscape. The subject provides tranquility in turbulent times.
Some of the journeys to visit
“falls” have been toYellowstone National Park, the upper Hudson River in
Hadley, N.Y., the “Great Falls” of Paterson, N.J., Bull’s Bridge and
Chapman Falls, CT., Bushkill Falls in the Pocono Mts. of PA., and
numerous falls in the Adirondacks and Catskills of N.Y. I
hiked the mountains of Shenandoah National Park and the gorges of the
Finger Lakes Region. In 2004, my painting adventures took me to Costa
Rica. In all the waterfall sites, I was “blown away” by the beauty of the scenery,
the sounds of the water gurgling and crashing, and the majesty of the
rocky gorges. All have helped me capture the many moods of outdoor
terrain and the forces of nature.
I take photographs for color
references and occasionally, carry oil paints and canvas into the field.
Lately, I’ve been painting on heavy weight mylar. The transparency
enables me to overlay sheets of mylar and look through parts of the
paintings to create visual layering. My paintings are a combination of
expressive realism and abstraction. The seasonal changes of waterfalls
make them metaphors for life’s cycles. How fortunate am I to stand with
pen and paper near the flash and flow of rushing currents and find the
muse for my art!
- Hilda Green Demsky
