My art lets me know who is boss and is quite insistent on having its way. It need not worry though. I’ve spent my entire life surrounded by various animals, not to mention I live in the rolling beauty of the Ozark Mountain Foothills, teaming with wildlife. This allows me ample opportunity to study the kinds of subjects I love to paint in realism.
Aww, but to no avail, my art doesn’t trust me. It believes I faltered and decides the water is too blue, the sunset isn’t bold enough, the fur should be fluffier. I battle with it, insisting that I’m right. It never wavers; it demands that I listen. Finally, after much frustration, I give in and give my art what it wants. Do I feel angry that my art bullies me into submission? Never! It always knows best how to convey the serene mood I’m after; drawing viewers in, making them feel a part of it.
I have learned to listen to my art and I hope the viewers will listen to the message it tells, “beauty surrounds us, but we must stop and listen to it.
- Diane Dudzik
