Experiencing nature is key to my work, it has been this way ever since was a small, feral girl who LOVED volcanoes and earth science. Just leave me alone. I will be outside. When I come back inside I will make pictures about how the outside makes me FEEL. Interpretation of the environment through magical realism. The use of language through titles takes the story of the work to another, unexpected level.

I grew up in the country and went to art school in the city. New York City. THE CITY. What a shift it was attending the School of Visual Arts. Good stuff. I found some people there. The teachers had serious chops. I developed my core discipline of dropping in to a studio session, dialing into the ether and flowing with what came in. I learned a bit of animation, some printmaking, lots of drawing, and of course painting.

Long term the City wasn’t for me. Too agitating. I moved elsewhere, still practicing my craft when I could squeeze in a session between various jobs.

I got into group shows for several years. I Joined Hera (a co-op gallery in Rhode Island)where I had my first one person show. This was followed by several others until I had “room of my own” at The Newport Art Museum in Newport, Rhode Island. In addition to the earth sciences I am fascinated by myth and story and have been since I could read. The show in Newport was a suite of 15 paintings based on the golden section. The content of the pieces was my interpretation of the bird transformations in Ovid’s Metamorphoses. It took years to develop and complete this project, it was a pleasure to show the work at the local museum.

The Big Island continued its call to have me return. This geography has a profound effect on my psyche and my art. At LONG last we made the shift to living here, full time on the Big Island. I now heed the call to paint and draw the sensations of this place. Lava, plants, sky, sea, maybe some animals. States of being, ever unfolding.

Irene Stawicki

PAINTING