Carver, Jill

"My work explores the dialogue between abstraction and realism, and I enjoy that ‘dance’ or ‘tension’.  As I keep reminding my students, artists should think of themselves as poets rather than journalists. I want to say something ‘specific’ about my reaction to a place or a moment in time – to capture the essence but not the whole. I process any idea through analyzing it in terms of shapes of abstract color rather than content. Certain elements will be eliminated totally and others exaggerated to achieve that goal. I particularly enjoy taking something ordinary or incidental and creating an iconic image of it that celebrates nature and challenges the viewer to be more observant of their surroundings.” - Jill Carver