Artist’s Statement

I work in paintings, drawings, collage and prints.   I strive to make work that is clear, layered and generous. I want the pictures to be ordered in terms of scale, color, shape and surface.  I am interested in making an image that contains beautiful moments of material and surface and engages the viewer on many levels.  The images are drawn from personal history as well as from shapes and phenomena that I observe in the world.  As a work gets going, the answers to its resolution appear often from a place inside the picture that could never have been anticipated from its outset.  The work nourishes its own continuity.

The paintings call to mind domestic or sacred objects that could be held in the hand or encountered in a forest or antique shop. The work of making the picture and contacting the surface with the brush and hand leaves behind evidence of a journey of decisions and a history of making and touch, much as a well-worn tool contains the history of the touch and work of its owner.

I am inspired by the discipline of the craftsman and share kinship with the carpenter, cook, and ironworker. As an artist, I believe it is important to put in the time, both in making the work, and making the studio an effective workshop for creating. I am dedicated to the transformation of raw materials through touch and dedication. I want the work to fit the world like a favorite shoe, engaging people with comfort, joy and curiosity over and over again.

Artist’s Links

website:  www.chuckwebster.biz      

gallery links: www.ziehersmith.com