Gail Guirreri-Maslyk Artist Statement

"I have been searching my creative process for over 25 years. Canvases in sweeping color and magnetic compositions created with quick decisions are my way of expressing the horses I see daily on the farm or in the hunt field. I do not seek to capture the moment as a photograph but the whole experience of the moment bringing a new and unexpected experience to the viewer. Allowing the paint to have a life of its own while succeeding in the composition is made in quick brush strokes. There are many subjects to be intrigued by but my own horses are my daily visual study. I watch how their jaws move, withers twitch, tails swish, and contrapposto shoulder and hip positions during routine chores. Painting gives me chance to bring all life moments together in one canvas. I do not seek to capture the moment as a photograph but the whole experience of the moment. How did I feel? What was the mood of the day? Even the sound of the wood floor under my feet and the warm breeze coming in a special studio becomes part of that moment in the creative process. My life is hidden in my canvases and brought back to me in these memories no different than a diary. In past statements I mention 'the need for peace on the farm to allow myself room to paint'. Now maybe I think it was that peace and happiness I wanted to capture in my art no matter the subject of my painting. Going forward with this awareness I expect to see another level of growth and purpose in my art in the next 25 years." Gail Guirreri