Tim Peterson

Mediums: Pastel

“We remember the main events of our day but probably do not recall many of the lesser things that we experience. With a small amount of conscious observation we can see the routine of our lives punctuated by little stories. They don’t need to be stressful or even involve us directly. It could be something we see for just a second. These dramas may pass observed but not realized until we make time to think about what we did or saw that day. I may not recognize I’ve seen a future painting unless I recall my day and if I fail to record it as a sketch within a day or two, it is lost. Occasionally, I will know immediately that I must paint what I have witnessed making visual mental notes. A “grand mal” event happens when I have drawing materials at hand and sketch as the act unfolds. Why I choose one subject over another, I suspect, is a result of some inner sense of pathos I don’t fully understand. It may be a purely visceral reaction to life’s slightly mad scenarios. My aim as an artist is to render these observations as truthfully as my abilities will allow. Each painting is a struggle between my original vision and my skills as an artist to capture a moment. I often think the real art occurs at that instant of recognition before craft has an opportunity to put its own interpretation into play.“

–Tim Peterson