Jeff Lodge – Sunset, Finger Lakes Farm

Description

Jeff is not a fan of verbose, self-centered artist’s statements. He is not out to change the world or make a political or social statement. He doesn’t paint as a therapy to deal with his inner demons as he think his inner demons are pretty much under control. Simply put, Jeff paints images from the world that grab his attention through the colors, textures and composition they contain. He paints images that he sees as comfortable and relaxing He feels the world is too tense and stressful to come home to anxious or angry art. The dynamic compositions and colors created by nature fascinate him. The ebb and flow of plant growth through the seasons, the art of natural erosion over the centuries, the beautiful chaotic placement of rocks by water and glaciers, the thousands of greens in trees and plants all offer vistas man has yet to create in any design studio. Jeff has a simple motto in painting – “Paint what you truly see, not what you expect to see.” When he finds himself in a difficult situation while painting, it almost always comes down to a conflict of trying to paint something that really isn’t visible but instead is an ill convinced “vision” of what one would stereotypically think is visible. When he focuses on what is really visible, the problem is always solved. Jeff’s paintings are “honest” in that very little is changed from the original photo in the final painting. He edits some items if they detract from the composition; some colors might be changed or enhanced, or some man-made “pollution” like a brick or tire in a stream may be removed. In most cases, the images are from his own photographs. Occasionally he will ask to use a fellow photographer’s work as a subject or refer to a historic image that is beyond his years. Jeff works in his studio from printed or computer screen images from his own photographs as his paintings are too detailed to attempt in a plein air or still life setting. The lighting and the physical condition of the subject change too rapidly over time even in still life subject.