ARTIST STATEMENT

Painting has been an integral part of me since I was a young child. For the most part of my life I was extremely shy to the point of fear direct contact with other people even in school staying away from everyone while watching them all, how they interacted and reacted from the corner of the room. My paintings and drawings were my safe blanket, and soon I realized people was connecting with me through my works without me having to get in contact with them, I felt safe.

During these years I became very much aware of my surroundings, the people near me, their faces, energy and feelings which were manifested through their expressions without them even noticing. I learned to read those expressions, interpret the energy and imagine in my head what was going on in their minds and it wasn't until much later in life that I realized this was an amazing gift which would become the starting point of something wonderful.

Eventually after years of confronting my demons I became less shy and fearful in a way. I still spend a huge amount of time just feeling and reading faces and alone in my corner which is now my studio. After many years of energetic abstracts and vibrant landscapes I finally defeated my terror of people and instead embraced the connection, the contact, the human figure, their life and experiences in a different way. The people I feared the most as a child became my inspiration not too long ago. I still enjoy painting emotional abstracts and vibrant landscapes and the occasional still life but I feel I not only added a new passion to my life, I found what for so long I was looking for.

My figures reflect the life of anyone, a moment I happen to witness made somewhere by someone in this world. I believe anything can make a wonderful painting if we just look deep on the real meaning of the scene. Every person has a unique entity that is reflected through their body language and expressions. When I photograph the people I see I feel a connection because I can read their expressions and try to capture that particular moment I felt with my paintings. Not all the pictures I take become a candidate for a painting, they have to have that something I can't express but I can sure recognize in an instant just by looking at it and analyzing it.

I need the emotional explosion that my abstract art gives me, they represent my wild rebel Aries side if you will, while I enjoy the classical calm impressionist style of my figurative and landscape oil paintings. My creative process is not easy and is painful at times as my emotions and deep feelings are yanked out of me and glued into the canvas in an intangible form of expression. Is not just splashing paint to make a good looking work to hang above a fireplace, it has to be for me more than just paint, solvents and canvas. I release and incredible amount of energy on each abstract painting while I look for peace and center my life when painting a landscape or someone I saw on the street. Most of the times I don't know when I'm done with the painting especially with my abstract art and I need to leave my studio and distract my mind with something else, but when I comeback again an hour or a day after I know what to do. It's not easy been an abstract and impressionist painter... is not easy been me.

Every day I enjoy and I thank the gift that was given to me, it has being the most amazing journey and has brought so much joy to my simple life.

Manuela Valenti