 I am a pen and ink artist. I work the old fashioned way with an ink well and a crowquill pen. Dip and scratch. okay...not an actual crow's quill , not quite that old fashioned but I do use the metal tip kind that works by surface tension . The wonderful way different plants and creatures grow together is what drew me to this subject of study. Nature determinedly leaves no place empty or untouched ; weeds , flowers , insects and creatures living their lives entwined. It's that tangle of life I like to ink. I am intrigued by the appearance of chaos in nature; the layers of fallen dead mixed, then renewed as shelter or feed for rising new life. In the chaos of these layers, there is an order, a rule for life; to continue onward, upward, and outward. I learned the technique that I use today by observing nature and watching life , as it grows and lives. Pen and ink has proved to be the perfect vehicle for me to engage color to fine detail. And I love detail.
I try to bring to wild scenes, a gentle acknowledgment, to honor the common creatures. Conversely, I try to bring to the domestic scenes, the reality not always sought; like the weeds and bugs in a cultured garden or flowers under the glow of the moon. My endeavor is to explore and find the small things lost in this busy world, bringing small creatures and bits of nature forward so we may know them intimately, again. I have exhibited my artwork in museums and galleries but I also attend outdoor art festivals along the East Coast , to exhibit and sell art . It is fun to be among the crowd and meet other artists and people who appreciate art. It's great to hear the stories shared of other's interaction with the natural world. It's interesting to hear what they think of the way I look at the world. The comment I most often hear about my artwork is....the colors made me look but the detail and textures drew me closer and then closer still to look deeper. I like that. Take a look for yourself , I hope you are drawn closer too.
I have found that I can illustrate my version of the world best with pen and ink. I do on occasion use other mediums but I like very much the control I have over my pictures with a fine tipped pen . I still do things the old way...a bottle of ink...a crowquill or map point and from there its dip and scratch...drawing one line or dot at a time. Larger areas or color are covered in brush strokes. The colors you see are also ink. People usually ask so , I will volunteer the information here , that on average a painting 150 square inches in size more or less will take me 80 hours from beginning to end ... to draw , paint and scratch . I use acid free paper , always. I also take care to be sure the inks I use are archival quality and color fast. When you look over my artwork and find yourself connecting with the colors or subject matter in a personal way.....enough to want to bring the image into your home...well...that means a great deal to me and I don't want to disappoint anyone with cheaply put together or faded art . I want my artwork and your pleasure in it to go on as long as possible. My prints are limited edition , signed and numbered. They are printed on museum quality paper with archival inks . My printer assures me (and he is fussier than I am , that's why I like him !) that as long as the prints are not displayed in direct sunlight ...the inks will hold their beautiful color. This is good advice ( avoid sunlight) for anyone's artwork , any kind .
WHYY TV came here last November to film a segment about me & the artwork for their news program Experience Delaware . They did an interview and took shots of me working in the studio and walking in the woods . The segment aired Nov 29th 2007 . To see the segment just click on http://www.youtube.com/user/RMaziarz
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