John Maurer OSA
Bio/History
My brief history in the fine art world has followed a successful 40 plus year career in commercial art, design, advertising and marketing. My early education in the art process and production allowed me to enter into the commercial field and work to become a professional quickly as I moved through various phases of my development. I worked my way through studios and ad agencies to move from the art board to sales positions, market planning, public relations and the managing of creative departments. I have experience in all areas of the advertising and design related tasks including illustration, graphic design, print technology, photography, publishing and writing. I have managed and developed creative strategies for major clients in both the retail, industrial and the agricultural marketplace.
I began to paint occasionally in 2009 experimenting with different subject matter and styles based on my experience in commercial art. Early in 2012 I decided I would approach the work in a more serious fashion and build a body of work that reflected my growth as a painter. I have painted exclusively in acrylic on a variety of different substrates from canvas to board, paper to ceramic tile in a variety of applied techniques to suit both the subject matter and the material worked on.
I find that style develops over a period of time through practice and the influence of others. When you seriously study how other artists have accomplished their imagery and technique, you can begin to develop your own path that suits your particular way of seeing things as you want to see them. One must discover his own comfort level and medium of choice through trial and error, constant problem solving and creating the challenges in their work to improve one’s ability and direction. You have to determine where you are going and how you want to approach things before you can develop a passion for what you do. In order to improve I felt I needed a mentor to follow and learn from as I began my own journey to enhance my abilities and help solidify the direction I wished to follow.
Artist’s Statement:
Painting “under the influence”
As artists we are all individuals with a variety of goals, levels of talent and a need to express ourselves in our own fashion. Whether a novice, a hobbyist, emerging or professional, only the need for self improvement will determine the accomplishments we make. The only way we grow and develop is through imitation, experimentation and practice. Passion comes from a desire to improve one’s self.
I believe we are visual “interpreters” of what we see and how it influences our decisions to create work in a meaningful fashion.
I believe that self expression through art is an attempt to communicate who we are, what we like and how we feel or are affected by what we see around us. I believe there is a need to consider and hopefully address or discuss these issues to understand our own feelings about why we paint. I believe we are strongly influenced by what we see and what we need to draw attention to through our efforts. The positive influence of other artists is critical to our development as craftsmen and imitation quite frankly is the only way we learn to communicate in any language. I look at each subject as a challenge to my abilities to render it to my own satisfaction in order to both learn and experiment with technique and medium. You can learn so much by understanding how others have interpreted their subject matter and how best you can use that information to plot your own course and develop your own methods as a painter.
I personally only paint subjects that I like or find intriguing in some way. I only paint from reference and I seek out those that I can learn from. Investigating and studying the approach and mannerisms of particular painters is critical to my personal growth and an understanding of what can be achieved through art.
Paintings in many ways are visual statements relating thoughts and feelings without a verbal description. They may not be everyone’s cup of tea and may not always appeal to the viewer. We assume the consumer will have their own interpretation of what is presented. Whether they figure out what we are telling them or comprehend what they see, the goal is to strike a chord with the audience and give them something to think about. We are in essence trying to get attention and interest in either exploring our own world or having the viewer travel their own journey to understand the work from personal experience. Our job is to expose and engage the viewer to form his own opinion of what we are offering and what he sees in the work.
Whether the subject matter is an appreciation for nature, the animal kingdom, everyday objects or our fellow beings, the work can be as subtle or as vibrant as we choose. My growth and development as a painter is the focus of my work. I don’t have to paint to be fulfilled like some, but I do find it enjoyable, relaxing, a great get-away and a means of better understanding why I do what I do.
I choose to present my work as “Painting under the influence” which is my way of both flattering and honouring artists that I have studied and been inspired by as they have helped show me the way to improve my skills. This is not just particular to the “Tom Thomson 100 Project” but applies to the majority of the work I have produced over the past 9 years.
My brief history in the fine art world has followed a successful 40 plus year career in commercial art, design, advertising and marketing. My early education in the art process and production allowed me to enter into the commercial field and work to become a professional quickly as I moved through various phases of my development. I worked my way through studios and ad agencies to move from the art board to sales positions, market planning, public relations and the managing of creative departments. I have experience in all areas of the advertising and design related tasks including illustration, graphic design, print technology, photography, publishing and writing. I have managed and developed creative strategies for major clients in both the retail, industrial and the agricultural marketplace.
I began to paint occasionally in 2009 experimenting with different subject matter and styles based on my experience in commercial art. Early in 2012 I decided I would approach the work in a more serious fashion and build a body of work that reflected my growth as a painter. I have painted exclusively in acrylic on a variety of different substrates from canvas to board, paper to ceramic tile in a variety of applied techniques to suit both the subject matter and the material worked on.
I find that style develops over a period of time through practice and the influence of others. When you seriously study how other artists have accomplished their imagery and technique, you can begin to develop your own path that suits your particular way of seeing things as you want to see them. One must discover his own comfort level and medium of choice through trial and error, constant problem solving and creating the challenges in their work to improve one’s ability and direction. You have to determine where you are going and how you want to approach things before you can develop a passion for what you do. In order to improve I felt I needed a mentor to follow and learn from as I began my own journey to enhance my abilities and help solidify the direction I wished to follow.
Artist’s Statement:
Painting “under the influence”
As artists we are all individuals with a variety of goals, levels of talent and a need to express ourselves in our own fashion. Whether a novice, a hobbyist, emerging or professional, only the need for self improvement will determine the accomplishments we make. The only way we grow and develop is through imitation, experimentation and practice. Passion comes from a desire to improve one’s self.
I believe we are visual “interpreters” of what we see and how it influences our decisions to create work in a meaningful fashion.
I believe that self expression through art is an attempt to communicate who we are, what we like and how we feel or are affected by what we see around us. I believe there is a need to consider and hopefully address or discuss these issues to understand our own feelings about why we paint. I believe we are strongly influenced by what we see and what we need to draw attention to through our efforts. The positive influence of other artists is critical to our development as craftsmen and imitation quite frankly is the only way we learn to communicate in any language. I look at each subject as a challenge to my abilities to render it to my own satisfaction in order to both learn and experiment with technique and medium. You can learn so much by understanding how others have interpreted their subject matter and how best you can use that information to plot your own course and develop your own methods as a painter.
I personally only paint subjects that I like or find intriguing in some way. I only paint from reference and I seek out those that I can learn from. Investigating and studying the approach and mannerisms of particular painters is critical to my personal growth and an understanding of what can be achieved through art.
Paintings in many ways are visual statements relating thoughts and feelings without a verbal description. They may not be everyone’s cup of tea and may not always appeal to the viewer. We assume the consumer will have their own interpretation of what is presented. Whether they figure out what we are telling them or comprehend what they see, the goal is to strike a chord with the audience and give them something to think about. We are in essence trying to get attention and interest in either exploring our own world or having the viewer travel their own journey to understand the work from personal experience. Our job is to expose and engage the viewer to form his own opinion of what we are offering and what he sees in the work.
Whether the subject matter is an appreciation for nature, the animal kingdom, everyday objects or our fellow beings, the work can be as subtle or as vibrant as we choose. My growth and development as a painter is the focus of my work. I don’t have to paint to be fulfilled like some, but I do find it enjoyable, relaxing, a great get-away and a means of better understanding why I do what I do.
I choose to present my work as “Painting under the influence” which is my way of both flattering and honouring artists that I have studied and been inspired by as they have helped show me the way to improve my skills. This is not just particular to the “Tom Thomson 100 Project” but applies to the majority of the work I have produced over the past 9 years.
