Steve Slimm - Artist Statement

There are times in life when things seem dire - and I wonder what I’m doing. There are also times when life seems a breeze, and everything’s going my way. I expect you can relate to these extremes.  But then there are times when that unfathomable presence of Life with a capital L washes over me in transparent waves of tingling delight. Enhanced by warm anticipation of the next gossamer moment when I breathe again the deep and heady draft. I suspect you might relate to this too. But whether you do or not, I’m building this website in an attempt to share something of Life’s sublime moments. My words are related to it, as is my music, and of course my visual art. 

For years I struggled with disinterest in painting actual locations. (And yet my paintings do appear to be located.) Even when I painted on location, getting down to details - I still wanted to paint them out! What's wrong with me? I wondered. I was ashamed of creating artwork that seemed somehow ingenuine, inauthentic. It wasn’t until I realised my fans and collectors actually loved this about the work, that I began to relax with the idea that I don’t paint places – I paint feelings. I paint the intimacy that exists between the observer and the thing closely observed –  with the eyes of the heart.

 

For me everything is about feeling. This innate feel of Life, coursing through our consciousness like the lifeblood of some inner core, cannot be depicted  sentimentally. Neither can it be translated into planned and well thought-out finely-crafted expressions of artistic ability. For myself this isn't an option. The throb of Life remains unspeakable in any language. The mind and its ideas need to move out of their own way. Only then can the pulse of Life speak for and of itself  - through what I paint, write and play. For me now this is the only way. It’s not a talent I possess, but rather an ability to disappear for a while – then come back later to see what Life has done by my hand.

It's difficult to put into words. I’ve done my best; it's up to you to feel into it. I hope you enjoy the site - and the delight of deciding what you'd like to experience further.

Steve 

Read more about my paintings.