Artist
Gotlib, Helen
Dexter, MI
Artist Statement
Much of human communication is nonverbal. Plants obviously cannot speak, yet they can be as emotive as a silent figure. Emphasizing the expressiveness of botanical and human structure rather than conventional beauty is what drives my work. I attend numerous drawing sessions with live models. Working with a living breathing human being rather than a photograph is essential to capturing pure emotion. As well, my botanical pieces are taken from real still-life arrangements. I often record the life cycle of a bundle of flowers from vibrant life, through to the delicateness of the dry final state. I use wet and dry mediums both additively and subtractively in order to create weathered atmosphere. Once I have captured the essence of the subject I continue working the piece independently of the model using a variety of unconventional techniques. Layers of ink followed by layers of gouache are often rubbed away using a scrubber brush to generate texture. In other cases I will spray my drawings with a vigorous jet of water from the garden hose to create liquid effects.
Booth : A313
Website :
http://helengotlib.com
Email :
helengotlib@gmail.com
Facebook :
https://facebook.com/HelenGotlibArtist
Instagram :
https://instagram.com/HelenGotlib/
Previous Years Attended :
2017 , 2018 , 2019 , 2020 , 2021 , 2022 , 2023
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