Deborah Brisker Burk
ARTIST STATEMENT
​
I create dynamic abstract landscapes and figurative paintings on canvas and paper to uplift and bring joy. Using a lush palette, my work often resembles a fields cape of color and shape derived from the natural environment. The paintings offer a place of serenity, retreat and hope admit a volatile world.
​
As for my process: I paint to be engaged in the river of life, the smooth and the turbulent. For me, it is all about the adventure and capturing a slice of the world in which I inhabit. My thoughts and emotions are the impetus to my artistic expression. the work "lives" in a constant dialogue as I explore and respond to what is happening on the painting surface.
​
The act of painting is very physical as I stand before the painting surface. In my various series, I start with an idea about a shape structure, a color palette and a mood that I am seeking. Once the first sweep of color or mark is applied, I allow my visceral and emotional reactions to guide the process to completion. Utilizing a wide array of tools, adding, subtracting, sculpting and editing the painting surface, I stay open and curious about the unfolding images. Palette knives, oil pastels, acrylics, ink, charcoal, found objects, collage materials, the instruments run the gamut of my imagination. This process evolves and informs one work to the next.
Recently, as I continue to explore the earthscapes and vista from the world around me, I have been mining both neutral and saturated colors, varied textures and changing shapes. In my process I am driven to create - a dynamic connection to the land's brilliance and to the people that inhabit it.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​