Artist Statment
Self-portrait of Deanna, painted in 1993, 5" x 5", oil paint
Artist's Statement
Drawing is a nice way to retreat and observe things—like peaceful meditation. It requires focus, dedication and an attempt to look simply on what is before you. Things can only be controlled up to a point and eventually the medium (and maybe even a happy accident) has its voice.
My first teacher at the Woodstock School of Art, Nick Buhalis, made a tremendous impression on me. He was an amazing man of vision and though I didn't always agree with him (much to his dismay), I did end up learning a lot from him. Sometimes I still hear his lessons and still try to glean the lessons from them. He spoke in a language filled with names I didn't understand—of great artists like: Cézanne, Degas and Gauguin. He inspired me to study them and also taught me color theory in a non-traditional way. He had such a gleam in his eyes when I finally proclaimed their purple hue.
While at FIT, I bumped into a lot of interesting people. One was my art history teacher, Chad Mandeles. His mind could critique a painting like a razor slicing through canvas. I had never fully appreciated the thought that went into art (as well as the skill). It all took on a new meaning for me when I could begin to see the artist and the world they lived in. Museums suddenly became a world of wonder and time seemed to escape from them.
It is difficult to snatch the time to draw in a world filled with bustling chaos. Observing the little things in life can almost make it seem sane.
Deanna Yildiz
Deanna Christina Yildiz speaks about Art
Would you like to write about your approach to portraiture and figurative art?
I like to see the subject in a variety of poses before I choose what is the most fitting way to depict them. I enjoy trying to capture their expression and making them recognizable. You can instantly tell if the viewer is taken with the interpretation or not and I love it when I get a physical reaction from them which overrides anything they can possibly say about it. I enjoy getting feedback.
I love to capture the expression in the subject's eyes because that is the most direct way to tell if the correct look was accomplished or not. I also notice that subtle nuances in the hair, in shadows, even in the clothes really help reveal the character of the sitter as well. I like using several reference photos as well as having the sitter before me for a period of time.
What made you decide to become an artist?
Well, a number of things.... But first and foremost, I like the peace that comes from drawing. I enjoy capturing a moment in time. Sometimes things happen which you don't intend and yet they work better than you could have planned. That is where a lot of the fun lies - in discovering new things.
I love sitting silently and contemplating my subject. It makes everything come together for a moment. Time stops and there is a lull. I love the beauty of animals and the natural world around us. The delicate vein on the surface of a leaf. The pulse of life. Discovering humanity outside of
humanity.
What is your definition of Art?
Art is a visual expression which is used to capture a feeling or a moment, to unleash emotions, to communicate ideas or thoughts.
How do you define Digital Art?
Digital art is a visual expression which can be combined with sound to communicate ideas, thoughts or emotion in an animated or static form and allows the viewer to interact and make decisions in the art. Digital art can traverse the world instantly and this is very powerful.
What factors affect your judgement when viewing or producing art?
I like well-conceived ideas, art that inspires and allows the viewer to relate to it. I like art that is executed with a high-degree of technical efficiency. I also sometimes like the gut-level instinct of quicker works of art or art by untrained hands. I like art that uses color to achieve a result and excite a mood. I also like art that is high contrast although I can also appreciate subtle nuances.
Where do you get your inspiration?
I get my inspiration from my emotions or looking at the world around me and finding something visually interesting. Sometimes I have a thought or idea that I want to express artistically.
What subjects do you portray in your artwork?
Sometimes I choose to paint people, animals, abstract notions, intimacies between people, or bizarre situations. It's really whatever inspires me at the moment. I may get commissioned to do a portrait and then have a specific goal I'm accomplishing. At other times, I really just want to unleash and vent out whatever's going on in my head or mind at the moment and give it a visual form. Sometimes just painting out an emotion can really help you learn from that emotion in a new way.
I enjoy painting subjects that other people can identify with as well. To know that I got through to someone else is a thrilling experience. I think a lot of time these days, we work in a vacuum - in our own little world and it's so easy to lose touch with others. Knowing that I passed on a feeling of excitement and energy to someone else and that they also share my enthusiasm on some level just makes the world a much cozier place. Using art to relate to others is an important part of the process.
When producing art, do you place emphasis on the interactivity between the viewer and the artist rather than the final product?
Not usually. I like to get feedback from people while the work is in progress which is a form of interaction but when the painting is complete, it is no longer interactive.
Can you suggest any topics or areas of research that you have undertaken to gain an understanding of digital art?
Most of my experience is from using the technology: like Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, etc. I also have extensively trained people in computer graphic software and often talk to fellow artists who also enjoy working digitally. Keeping up with trade magazines, online tutorials and training books is also a great way to stay up on what's going on in the digital world: like reading HOW magazine, Communication Arts and Macworld.
You often seem to use bright colors. Why is this?
I like bright colors but sometimes pastel colors can be nice too in a muted palette.
Muted colors can give one a sense of calmness like in, for example, Egyptian art.
For my own art, I prefer a stronger more vibrant set of colors. Because it makes
me excited to paint and to see the world around me in new and vivid ways.
Even in a muted palette, it's nice to have a little vibrant color in there, somewhere in the picture. It
helps to create that extra bit of excitement in your work. That buzz... that flicker
of life, focus...
It can draw a viewer's eye to it and can help capture the attention of your audience.
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