Dan Volenec

I was fortunate to attend the now famous Atelier Lack in the late 70's, when traditional art instruction was very difficult to find. Stephen Gjertson, my primary instructor, taught me more about seeing than any other. I still remember his direct, no frills instruction, pointing out time and again complex half tone areas and encouraging deeper vision because "if you can't see it, you can't draw it or paint it". How true. Yet art is more than technique. It is also about sensing, tapping into a world without words, trusting that world to guide, to instruct. This tension, this combination of honed skill and fragrance from the 'other side' compels me to explore the complexity of the human condition. 

Deeply person themes fuel my art. I explore the act of decision making, the struggle for acceptance, the reconciliation of broken relationships. I make large pieces for the same reason Georgia O’Keefe made large flower paintings. It was a way she found to stop the busy people for a few seconds. 

I may spend weeks or months contemplating what I hope to convey. Then I spend another 100-200 hours creating each image. Still in the end I hope the art I create is about more than just me and my thoughts. I believe the images I’ve created can and should stand on their own. And if throughout the process I’ve been successful, my art will connect with the viewer’s life experiences, tapping into and nourishing the viewer’s soul. 

* This statement has been provided directly by the artist in association to their 14^th International ARC Salon entries. This content has not been edited for typos or grammatical errors and has not been vetted for accuracy.