Painting & Photography

 

I grew up in a context that fostered an appreciation for aesthetic beauty. I saw family members spend time and energy creating and practicing crafts such as woodworking, photography, filmmaking, and music. I was encouraged to read and spend time out-of-doors (mostly by not having a television in the house until I was 13).

 

I developed a love for photography by watching my stepfather behind the camera. He shot weddings and confirmations, and sometimes I helped with those, but it was the pictures of our family that really sparked my aesthetic sense. Whether it was capturing the intimacy between mother and child or the zaniness of popoid spacesuits, he had a knack for telling stories with pictures. So, while I was an avid reader, I developed an experiential understanding of 'a picture is worth a thousand words.' I've been holding a camera now for most of my life, capturing images that speak to me or help me remember the detailed beauty of the world around me. I have some formal training, but have forgotten more than I know. My work, at its best, is characterized by unique framing that hopefully pays homage to what I learned growing up.

 

More recently, I have had the opportunity to learn painting from my friend J. Vincent Scarpace (www.ipaintfish.com). Under J.'s tutelage, I have learned about the basic elements of art (line, shape, color, value. texture, perspective, and composition) and been able to connect this to the experiential aesthetic sense I developed growing up. Part of this experience involved helping to facilitate a discussion group with Honors university students on "Creativity as a Transcendent Act."

 

Buy prints at http://jonathan-kotinek.artistwebsites.com/