S Staara

I paint landscapes landscapes of the mind. They depict states of being, not nature. They are not of the familiar, the usual, or the ordinary. The paintings are places of joy, sadness, excitement, darkness and light. The images are built as much from the many layers of my memory as from layers of experience. Unlike most landscape paintings that can be comprehended within a few seconds, my paintings invite the viewer to travel within them. The paintings all have an entry point, a place on the canvas where the viewer can enter the painting, wander around in it, discover and access all that is hidden within. The images and colors invoke moods and states of mind. It is a painted consciousness, a consciousness that directs the viewer to a new dimension, a place where memory and space merge into its own world.
Most frames complete paintings in as much as they finish the rough sides of a painting, covering imperfections and making the image suitable for presentation. My frames are a unique part of the actual piece of art. All are hand-constructed by me and are designed to compliment and ultimately complete the image on the canvas. Rather than confine the image the way a traditional frame might, my frames expand the canvas to...

Awards: OnLine Artist of the Day Saatchi OnLine Gallery December 20, 2009; Voted Best of Show (Light #1) by the Berrien Artists Guild Board of Directors 2008

Prior Exhibitions:
The Heart of Art Studio & Gallery Tour: Michigan City, IN, October 17-18, 2009
Solo show of 40 pieces, The Box Factory for the Arts, St. Joseph, MI, September-October, 2009
Winter Members Show: Southern Shore Art Association, Michigan City, IN, January-March, 2009
The Heart of Art Studio & Gallery Tour: Michigan City, IN, October 18-19, 2008
Chicago Art Open 2008: Merchandise Mart, Chicago, IL October, 2008
Visions II Juried Art Exhibit: Southern Shore Art Association Michigan City, IN, August, 2008
Summer Member Show: The Box Factory, St. Joseph, MI, July-August, 2008
Abstracts Exhibit: The Box Factory, St. Joseph, MI, July-August, 2008
The Jill Underhill Gallery, Harbert, MI, April-June, 2008
15th Annual Juried Art Exhibition: The Art Barn, Valparaiso, IN, May-June, 2008
Winter Members Show: The Box Factory, St. Joseph, MI, December-January, 2008
The Heart of Art Studio & Gallery Tour: Michigan City, IN, October 13-14, 2007
Chicago Art Open 2007: Iron Studios, Chicago, IL, October, 2007
Drawing, Pain...