Kay Sarver
Statement
The Light Inside
It could be argued that portrait painting is overdone and to some extent I would agree. But why do we feel this need to express our humanity in this way? We are obsessed with facial expressions, body language, and the suspended mystery behind someone’s eyes. In truth, there is a story in that fleeting moment. It cannot match a poetic, wordy novel to convey the complex reality of an individual, but there is something in that brief visual gesture, that captured glance, or interaction that communicates without language, a profound, universal understanding.
The acclaimed fiction writer, Joyce Carol Oates, once said “I put my faith in people”. That simple statement vibrated with my energy and the joy I experience while painting others. It becomes an act of love, which probably says more about my needs, my makeup than theirs, but in a time when it is often hard to see the light around us and within us, I am compelled to fulfill this need to help validate my faith in who we really are.
Painting with oils on wood, round panels, which emulate a portal; a private glimpse of someone through an imaginary wall, the shape has an organic fluidity that excludes the hard lines of a rectangle or square that tend to confine the subject to a box. It also is reminiscent of portraits done long ago on ovals or rounds, even small enough to be included inside a locket on a necklace. As the human face has a similar shape, this was a natural shift for me to follow while creating this series.
Kay's website
The Light Inside
It could be argued that portrait painting is overdone and to some extent I would agree. But why do we feel this need to express our humanity in this way? We are obsessed with facial expressions, body language, and the suspended mystery behind someone’s eyes. In truth, there is a story in that fleeting moment. It cannot match a poetic, wordy novel to convey the complex reality of an individual, but there is something in that brief visual gesture, that captured glance, or interaction that communicates without language, a profound, universal understanding.
The acclaimed fiction writer, Joyce Carol Oates, once said “I put my faith in people”. That simple statement vibrated with my energy and the joy I experience while painting others. It becomes an act of love, which probably says more about my needs, my makeup than theirs, but in a time when it is often hard to see the light around us and within us, I am compelled to fulfill this need to help validate my faith in who we really are.
Painting with oils on wood, round panels, which emulate a portal; a private glimpse of someone through an imaginary wall, the shape has an organic fluidity that excludes the hard lines of a rectangle or square that tend to confine the subject to a box. It also is reminiscent of portraits done long ago on ovals or rounds, even small enough to be included inside a locket on a necklace. As the human face has a similar shape, this was a natural shift for me to follow while creating this series.
Kay's website