 |
Audra Philippy lives in Bend, Oregon with her husband and son. She grew up in New Hampshire and after receiving her Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting and drawing from James Madison University, in Harrisonburg VA, she had the urge to head to the west coast to explore something new. After checking out different west coast cities, in 1997 she visited Bend and fell in love with what was then a small mountain town.
She is currently working on custom boards using venetian plaster and pigment. You can view her paintings at BICA Gallery in Bend, Oregon As an artist, I am drawn to the simple beauty of color, shapes and textures that surround me everyday. The color of a stone, the shape of a water stain on cement, or the texture of a rusted piece of metal. I am fascinated by mixing the natural world with the industrial world. Though these two realms are often in conflict, I am amazed at how they play off each other. Especially when combining them in my paintings. I usually have an image in mind when I start to create a painting, but it tends to take on a life of its own as I work; rarely the end result is what I originally intended. I experiment by letting my curiosity run loose and by not being afraid to layer and change the whole piece. Many of my favorite results are when the unexpected occurs, allowing the painting to take me on a creative journey. I often let the piece I am working on inspire the next, creating a connection to each of my paintings. My paintings never have a single meaning. If they are successful they will connect with the viewer at some emotional level, and offer a moment's pause in this fast-paced world. |
