PAUL MATHISEN

My inspiration comes from artist such as Pollock, Frankenthaller and Ehlrich. Jackson Pollock because of the way he thought about his art. When viewing Helen Frankenthaller’s art I am inspired by the way she manipulates the paint to create the images that result. When I experienced the work by Ron Ehlrich I feel how he pushed the envelope just enough and it has changed my perspective about my attitude towards my own materials and work. I work on one piece at a time. Replacing crayons with enamel and paper with birch panels I achieve a more technically challenging technique. Exploring the landscape more as a conceptual abstract, I invite the viewer into a visual world of color, form and imagination that is completely unexpected. My work is very controlled despite what the visceral appearance may appear to be. I would like some day to be able to release that and just go crazy with it. Perhaps once I gain a certain level of control maybe I will be able to do that……just allow the art to become itself. That is my goal. The works displayed here represents a thematic series. I am transferring the results from my works on paper series in a similar vein onto birch wood panels for my current project. Though the present work shows my creativity, I seek to find a conceptual basis for my ultimate series. I always plan to elevate my control to maintain a high level of expertise the art form I developed. My dream is to sophisticate the work to a level to which others and myself will quickly recognize my unique personality in my work.