Artist Statement

By

SHEARY CLOUGH SUITER

The paintings in this show express visually our ongoing quest for certainty in the realm of human spirituality.

I’m mostly of the mind that we can’t know whether or not any essence of our being continues to "be" after death of our physical form. And the scientific side of me deduces that the centuries old search for confirmation of life beyond the physical is simply a by product of our inability to accept "not being."

Paradoxically, I’m equally of the mind that if we are alert observers of life, rather than mere participants, periodically our experiences in daily living provides us with pointers supporting the possibility that there exists a deeper, unseen layer of life. One that may be dangled enticingly before us, at brief, often obscure moments. Everyday reality slips away and is replaced with a vision of perfection and unity. Certainty of "something more" prevails.

Depicting personal symbols for which I often cannot provide rational explanations is the foundation of my work. My goal when I paint is to lose my logical self and to let the creative self take over, always in hopes of entering that zone of connecting with my spiritual being. When I’m successful, the painting "paints itself" and time is nonexistent. I become a vehicle of faith in the power of the inner self to link with the whole.

A fundamental requisite of being a visual artist is the willingness to project one’s feelings and history onto paper or canvas with the intent of evoking an emotional response in the viewer. My hope is that each painting in this show makes a connection to at least one viewer, triggering in him or her the feather-like touch of knowing that we must be more than we seem.

September, 2005