"Trees In The Foreground" - SOLD
oil on board
12
" x 16"
Biography
William Duma born in Calgary, Alberta in 1936. Honors Graduate from Alberta College of Art in 1962 and member of the A.S.A. Since graduating he has participated in many one-man and group shows throughout Canada and abroad. Bill is represented in many major corporate and private collections in Canada, USA, and Europe.
Artist Statement
Over the years I have found great enjoyment in trying to capture the numerous moods of nature.
In 1985 I started a floral series wanting to try a more fluid and energetic approach to painting.
I feel one of the reasons for this change was working in stained glass (1973-1980), where I found the linear qualities appealing. This cloisonné trait separates colors and enhances the energy of a work. An example of this is found in the paintings of Van Gogh.
The paintings of Canadian artist David Milne (1883-53) have also had a great appeal and influenced this series. Milne’s work has an elusive and magical quality that is difficult to describe. One of David Milne’s statements regarding painting was “the painter does not reproduce the thing before him, he simplifies and eliminates until he knows exactly what stirred him, sets down in color and line as simply and powerfully as possible and so translates his impressions into an aesthetic emotion.”
It is this aesthetic emotion and energy in a work that I am striving for.
Although I have mentioned Milne and Van Gogh, I am not comparing my work with theirs. Since leaving the Art College in 1962 my work has been influenced by many artists. These include Matisse, The Fauves, The Toas Group, the Group of Seven, Gustav Klimt, Buck Kerr and others. As artists we are all influenced, therefore it is important to choose established and proven individuals as mentors.
In this latest series I decided to use the same approach with landscape as I have with the earlier floral series.
I still plan on painting in a traditional manner but also to enjoy the freedom and stimulation derived from a change in direction and approach.
