Vivien Pollack

When I paint, my canvas can range from silk to walls to paper. Color is an integral part of my work, so the strong intensity of silk dyes is a great asset when combining fantasy with intense color to recreate my subject. When I start a silk painting with a preconceived idea many times the painting takes a life of its own and at times I have unexpected results. After deciding on a subject for my work, my hope is to capture the beauty whether it is from my imagination or from nature (trees, meadows, flowers, etc.) in order to inspire others to protect and conserve our land. I frequently travel with my camera and use many of the photos I have taken for inspiration. Since my art background began as a textile designer I find I look for patterns such as in water flowing and leaves on trees. I believe that beauty can be found in the most mundane settings. The key is how you interpret your observations to bring forth that beauty into art. As Edgar Degas once said "Art is not what you see, but what you make others see."