"Color Chords - Green", Painting by Diane P. Farr, Oil on Canvas, with a Frame, 36 x 36 Inches

ARTIST STATEMENT

With my paintings I interpret what I see and feel, and as such they are as much about mood and memory as they are about the specific details of a place or scene.  While my sensibilities continue to evolve, there are certain themes that I am repeatedly drawn to:  the expressiveness of people; the expansive, limitless feel of distant views; the many moods evoked by the sky, atmosphere, and water; and the playful, intriguing patterns of light and shadow on shapes.  My style combines elements of the old masters, tonalism, and impressionism, with a newfound interest in abstraction and simplification.

My newest series of Color Chord paintings focus on the essence of place.  Working at the intersection of abstraction and representation, I simplify the landscape down to its elemental features, finding its essence in horizontal bands of naturalistic colors.  Starting with compositions that are informed by golden mean proportions and concepts of dynamic symmetry, my focus then shifts to creating color chords that are harmonious, interesting, and evocative of different seasons or places.  Rather than including specifics or details, interest is created by working with traditional tonalist methods, adding and subtracting layers of oil paint and glazes until a certain atmosphere or mood has been achieved.  

 These works explore balance and harmony, and the ways color can express ideas of form and feeling.  These works further explore the play between flatness and depth, opacity and translucency, color and value.  In stripping away all detail, the works are both contemplative and minimalist, evoking the mood and memory of places both seen and imagined.