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Keith Linwood Stover - Curator
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The Cyber Art Show
"Bringing the Museum to You"
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
“I am inspired by my own travels. Places and people offer me new scenarios and feelings to pour into my painting. Europe, USA, Asia, all cultures suggest diversity, to which I want to be the eye witness. On the other hand, art is a lens that translates the outside world for me to understand it and connect to humanity.
My way to achieve this is either paint on location, or take notes and draw sketches when I travel. I strive to work by memory, which requires a deeper observation; I select only what really reso-nates within. If I use my own photos I draw an edited version of the subject. Then I decide my own color arrangement, according to my mood and pre-mix a limited number of colors on my palette. At this point the brushwork should be (or at least appear) the easiest and most effortless. In other words, the painting should paint itself!
Ultimately I want the viewer to get lost in a timeless story. It's my highest reward. And a bet every single time.”
Gallery #674B
June 2, 2018
Twelve Pieces by Contemporary Artist
Connie Winters (Born 1940)
- Image of the Day -
"Bright Morning in Ornans"
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Feature Artist Bio
By permission of the artist, The Cyber Art Show is pleased to feature the second of two 12-piece exhibitions of works by American painter
Connie Winters (born 1940 in Illinois, USA).
Historically, classic Impressionism is, and remains, the most-popular form of painting. Connie Winters' work exemplifies the loose emotion-laden brushwork and the sunlit colors of the finest examples of this genre. Her frequent trips to France provide the source of inspiration for her very original compositions - each one an individual effort without resorting to formula.
Although Winters has painted most of her life, it wasn’t until 1985 that she determined she would become a professional artist. She gave herself the gift of two years to develop a defined style of painting. Her signature style, creating fresh vibrant landscapes and warm inviting interiors, emerged quickly. Soon she began selling her paintings through well-known galleries.
Connie is an active observer, intent on recording the interplay of color and light. Color is a key ingredient in each of her paintings. “Painting is like a puzzle,” she explains. “An example, putting cool reds against warm reds creates excitement to capture the eye of the viewer.”
Another equally-key ingredient is her strong drawing skills, which lay down the architecture of the design. “I see color where others may not notice it. While some would look at a road and say it is black, I will see shades of lavender, blue or even gold, depending on the light. It all depends upon the light.”
An avid gardener, Winters cultivates this same passion for color and architecture in her arbors, paths and flowers. Connie’s garden palette carries into the interior of her home. Some of her most-popular paintings feature warm intimate interiors, bursting with vibrant color and softly-diffused light inviting one to linger awhile.
Over two decades now, Connie has shared her love of France and the inspiration she gathers through travel by conducting painting workshops. Her enthusiasm for the rural regions of Provence and Dordogne, French culture, the ambience of the small villages, wild masses of flowers and bucolic landscapes is shared with her students. In addition to travel workshops, Winters hosts two and three- day workshops in Matthews, NC and one to three-day workshops associated with some of the galleries.
Connie has studied with notable artists Phillip Moose (Pulitzer Prize for art), the late Shirley Markham, Alice Steadman, Constantine Chatov, Mark Chatov, Alice Williams, the late Henry Barnes, and Quang Ho. More recently she has studied with Kevin McPherson and C.W. Mundy.
Her paintings are found in many notable private and corporate collections, which include, John Randolph Hearst Jr., the Coca-Cola collection, the Duke Mansion in Charlotte and the permanent collections of Erskine College, Presbyterian College and Wingate College.
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
“The romance of the countryside, the warmth of an intimate interior, the vibrant colors and cool shadows in a sunlit flower garden, are only some of the visuals that excite and inspire my paintings.
Sharing the joy in my own observations would be what is important to convey to my viewers.
As an artist, I am fortunate to be able to express myself through paintings and having an audience that responds favorably to what my canvas says.”
