Raette Meredith

Artist Statement

Nothing is permanent, perfectly static, or still. The same energy that creates the ocean waves and forces the grass to lay on its side is the energy that connects us to the universe. We may feel its whisper as a breeze on our face, hear it shake the leaves, or watch as it pushes the clouds into formation. Often I feel burdened by demands of daily life, but when in nature I am reminded that all circumstances are impermanent. Whether feeling burdened or free, the winds serve as a gentle reminder that even in the impermanence of our circumstances, the wind still blows, and new life still reaches for sunlight.

I first found satisfaction with creating art when I was a young child. I don’t remember any time in my life when I wasn’t drawing or building something. As an adult, I find that painting with oils and a palette knife is the most challenging, and has held my attention longer than any other medium. When painting, time stops, I am completely focused on the subject I am painting. This focus keeps me grounded. Painting is not an option for me, it is something that I simply must do.

I try to capture the impermanence in nature in my paintings, moving my knife across the canvas in the same manner the subject was formed. As I work through the painting, colors begin to vividly emerge and my eyes become more sensitive to the changes of color in light and shadow. Upon completion of a painting, I feel refreshed as if given a new day. It is my hope that the viewer also feels nature’s impermanence and refreshment when looking on these paintings.