Chick Curtis
Artist
I was once asked, “Do you have to know how to draw in order to paint?”
My answer was — and still is — no.
Drawing is not a requirement to paint, but it is a skill that can strengthen the work, making it more compelling, expressive, and alive. I continually practice drawing from the live model to render the figure as clearly as possible. The practice itself is a reward.
Moving from figure drawing to composition creates the possibility of narrative. While I may have my own interpretation of what I’ve made, I want viewers to form their own stories based on their personal visual response.
My work draws from live models, photographs I have taken, sketches, memory, and imagination. It tells stories without words — sometimes strange, occasionally humorous, often beautiful — always rooted in joy and wonder.
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“Art is oxygen.”
Chick Curtis