Artist Statement of Casey W. Foltz, Eastern Shore Artist

Lighthouse Studio

ARTIST STATEMENT

My latest series of art works are called "Shore-Scapes". These land, sea and bayscapes attempt to show the relationship of sky, to land, to water on the Eastern Shore. To me these elements are what give character to the landscape of the Eastern Shore. Through
my work, I try to show the different types of atmospheric light as seen in the sky on Delmarva. I attempt to show the way light shines on the land, trees and fields. How each of these objects absorb and reflect light to create colors, shadows and create different moods. In a similar way, I long to capture the way light reacts to the surface of the water beneath it. Sometimes mirroring the sky, and yet many times not.

My artwork is created using a variety of media such as photography, drawings, and paintings. The photographs are typically large in size and some are taken in a "soft focus" blurred style. The overall size of the printed photograph is important to me. I want to give the viewer a sense of large scale like the space I'm seeing. There is a feeling of "openness" about many of the landscapes. This is done to provide a feeling of open-space, uncluttered by the world. The "soft focus" or blurred image styling is done intentionally to soften or diffuse the details and leave the viewer with an impression of an experience, rather than recording an actual encounter with a particular place.

	Similar to the "Color Field" artists of the 1950's, I attempt to use color in large flat areas. I, however, intend to reference the sky, land and water. There is also a wonderful horizontalness about the coastal plain on which I live. There is very little undulation in the land. Most of what I see tends to accentuate the flat horizon line as an important element in the picture plane. To me, it provides a sense of stability to the image.

In contrast, the colored pencil drawings tend to be quite small. I draw these small to force the viewer to get close. To make them see and appreciate all of the little marks of subtle colors that are layered together to make up the larger area of color in a field or sky. The paintings are somewhere in between. They range in size and media. Some are done quite quickly in watercolor while others are painted in layers of oil paint. All seek to capture something unique and true to the Eastern Shore, while working in a contemporary style blending abstraction with realism.

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