Wassily Kandinsky born in Russia in 1866 died 1944 is my mentor. He was one of the greats of the twentieth century. He was an artist before his time who taught us that art must contain the essence of the artist. In visual art terms this is called content. It is something that the artist has within him and unconsciously transmits to his work. It is a feeling, a belief, an attitude; it creates the passion and brings a piece of art to life.
My life as a woman and as a mother has been intensely difficult. The good thing about it is that it made me a survivor. I have always had the painter within but it wasn’t until my children were grown and I had separated from their father that the artist within began to surface.
When I started painting seriously the question was: what do I want my work to communicate? I wanted universal themes so as to reach as many people as possible. An ambitious goal but glorious to work toward goals such as this.
Each one of my paintings is a world unto itself. The process leads me down new roads sometimes full of adventure sometimes full of doubt and pain always full of challenge. I love that the spectator walks into my painting and joins me in my journey.
My work is a combination of two cultures, the Caribbean and around Boston. Sometimes one is more prominent, sometimes the other. This is what makes my work unique.
It is when I am communicating with my work that things begin to happen. Then in turn the work will communicate with the spectator.
Paintings are not finished when I want them to be-they are finished when they are finished
During the process of painting a work takes on a life of its own. It is up to me to recognize it.
When art is not a true representation of life, it is decoration.
My intense layering of the paint creates a world within.
Persistence is a good quality to have. Experience, trial and error, love and hate, overcoming adversity, all these help me to create art.
When I was a teenager in high school the study of the universe and the planets fascinated me. Unbelievably, today after sixty years have passed, I am painting my planets. And I admit with a smile when I say this. In the beginning I didn’t know that the spheres were planets but when it came to me I had no doubt.
Who knows how long I will be painting planets. It really isn’t my choice. Life takes us on many journeys and I want to be ready for them.
I work on more than one series at a time, both geometric and organic. This organization of work is very satisfying for me.
I always try to live my life (and painting is a big part of my life} in a way that allows me to be true to myself.
June Rhoda Blanco