Artist Thesis
“Our
task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature
and its beauty." - Albert Einstein
I feel that animals are a very important part of our life and should be loved and celebrated
by us, and that is what I attempt to do through my paintings. I am fascinated by what I see outdoors, and often find myself
captivated by the creatures that live there. They bring me a great amount of joy, even when I’m feeling down, and that
emotion is what I strive for in my paintings for the viewer to enjoy as well.
The medium I use most often is acrylic. My paintings range in size and usually are done on stretched
canvas. I usually go by the term “less is more”. There is usually one animal close up and cropped emerging from
the side of the canvas. Then I leave the background either a solid color or a splashy abstract design. If I feel the painting
needs more, I will add something that relates to the animal spontaneously around the canvas, for instance, their feet, tail,
or spots.
I love realism. I love transferring what I see and feel from the animal onto the canvas. I also
try to portray humor in the animal poses. I like to paint them scratching, yawning, chewing, something you won’t usually
see if you glance at them. I use humor because it makes people smile and animals do precisely that for me.
Sometimes people ask me, “Why don’t you paint something pretty, like a white tiger
or a parrot?”. Beauty can be found in anything and everyone. On occasions I like to paint the not to appreciated animals
because they are usually ignored or disgusted and I want to be seen and appreciated. Rats, pigeons, and hermit crabs are included
in my series of paintings. They bring out my deepest emotions and are the most striking animals in my eyes.
In sharing the special joy and excitement I experience from animals through my paintings, I
hope to help the viewer to better appreciate the natural world around them.
-Krissy Weinstein
