That Distant Vase of Flowers

I never told my parents how much that visit to the art museum transformed me.  I never told anyone. I started drawing at a young age as a way to express my secret thoughts, but it wasn’t until I entered the Indianapolis Museum of Art that I became fascinated with paintings. I remember a painting of a bright vase of flowers, displayed on the wall in front of me. I could not speak. I was alone. I never forgot the smell of oil or the forbidden urge to touch that vase. I was shaken from solitude by a distant voice, and it was time to leave.

That painting of flowers led to many other discoveries. I fell in love with Jeffrey Watts’ paintings, whose “advanced palette” technique creates lively scenes and portraits. Watts guided me to his mentor, Nicolai Fechin, another painter of vibrant portraits, “which observers said seemed to radiate from the eyes of the subject.”  Fechin inspired me to think about the complex possibilities of portraits.

Now I paint portraits and stories about my family and friends. I seek to discover a connection with my subjects. Their faces carry the key to their secrets. One of my challenges is to create a body of work with faces and figures that unmask mystery. My task is to observe so that my viewer can see.

In A Stylized Version of Bach, for example, I depict a violinist in the act of picking up his instrument and playing. I want my viewer to see the passion of the musician as he moves with rhythm. Broad strokes of my palette knife suggest his movement and energy. Rich hues of browns and blues surround the player, creating a sense of his joy of music. This portrait is not just of a man, but also of his true self. I hope all of my work portrays the secret lives of my subjects.

                                                                                           —Gloria Taylor-Williams