"Becoming" Artist Statments 2007

daniel Baltzer--
I see becoming as a process that begins with building a space in our innermost being to meet with God.

Derek Powell--
I considered the theme "becoming" to be related to the idea of maturing. Maturing in faith and as a person means taking risks. It is through the process of taking risks that we grow ans become who we have the potential to be. I painted a series of divers, which to me are a visual metaphor for risk taking- taking a leap, going to the depths- taking the chances we need to take to attain our potential.

Bennett Vadnais--
The theme of "becoming" has been in my mind all week, an I haven't felt sure how it fits with the work that I've been developing. The way that I work often starts with exploring outdoor subject matter, landscapes and country scenes in order to capture changing light effects. Although many of my paintings are highly realistic, they often begin in response to abstract elements, such as appealing color combinations or shadow patterns. This process of responding to something subtle, even small, and then gradual development of sketching, laying in a larger canvas, doing additional sketches, studying the light affect day after day... it has so many different levels and phases before it can come together. I realized by the end of the week that each of these individual techniques that I participate in before the ending completion of the work is a bit like "becoming". It is a journey where I'm not always sure where the road leads or how it's going to result in something cohesive, but it requires faith and perseverance, and the belief that it will be worth it.