Reflecting on Hetch Hetchy Painting

I create art. Why? It’s as normal as eating or sleeping, and just as necessary. I constantly see images I want to put on canvas. I see shapes. I see color, and especially light, and I try to capture it. I feel emotion and need to deal with it. I understand myself and my relation to the world in these images. I am an artist. I’ve been told to stick with one style, but I can’t, or maybe just won’t, but it’s how my brain operates. I tend to bounce around from one idea to the next, trying different ideas and styles, sometimes combining them. Many of my paintings are created over the span of several years as I often re-approach older works that I never finished, or maybe aren’t as visually exciting as I once thought. I don’t like to wash over these, but instead I keep adding to them until they feel complete. Sometimes going in a completely different direction or style than was originally imagined. I enjoy this process as it leads to an end product that was not preconceived. In 2011 I made a conscious decision to actively pursue my passion for art. To BE THE ARTIST I always believed I was. Since that time I have created and exhibited more art than ever and have been rewarded with increasing sales and exposure. From a very young age I have always dreamed of seeing my art in a museum and I recently accomplished this career highlight with my solo exhibit at the St. George Art Museum titled, “Dories; Holding onto History”. I want to give a big THANK YOU to everyone who has and continues to support me in this endeavor, y’all are awesome!! Thanks, Neil Kesterson