Artist Statement
My work uses visual metaphor, allegory and magical realism to explore psychological truths about the human condition. My work also blurs traditional distinctions such as serious vs. trivial or tragic vs. comic. My compositions are not bound by conventions of time, space or form. This indeterminacy is meant to draw the viewer into a dialogue with the work, deepening their experience and enjoyment of it.
I paint from models and my imagination. Sometimes the characters in my work go through a few transformations before their final forms emerge. I like to think this process is not unlike the building of my characters' psychological dimension. Aided by classical compositions and colour palettes, I "collage" different scenes that come to mind in a constant process of addition and elimination as I build the composition of each work. I reference the great masters for painting methodologies, from Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticcelli, all the way to Odd Nerdrum and Lucian Freud. I use the tonal approach and build layers in oil to achieve a luminous effect to the skin tones and other elements in my paintings.
Pilar was born in Manhattan, NYC and immigrated to La Paz, Bolivia when she was just a few months old. She grew up in La Paz until, at the age of twelve, her family moved to Whitehorse, Yukon in Canada. There she lived and attended junior High School. She had her first painting lessons in Haines, Alaska where she lived and painted with artist Sherry Takala at Noah's Art during the summer of 1985.
At the age of 17 she moved back to La Paz where she started attending the Academy of Art Hernando Siles and later enrolled in the Fine Arts program at Universidad Mayor de san Andres.
Pilar obtained her BFA at the University of Victoria double majoring in Art History and Visual Arts.
After much traveling Pilar has settled in Vancouver where she paints full time.
My work uses visual metaphor, allegory and magical realism to explore psychological truths about the human condition. My work also blurs traditional distinctions such as serious vs. trivial or tragic vs. comic. My compositions are not bound by conventions of time, space or form. This indeterminacy is meant to draw the viewer into a dialogue with the work, deepening their experience and enjoyment of it.
I paint from models and my imagination. Sometimes the characters in my work go through a few transformations before their final forms emerge. I like to think this process is not unlike the building of my characters' psychological dimension. Aided by classical compositions and colour palettes, I "collage" different scenes that come to mind in a constant process of addition and elimination as I build the composition of each work. I reference the great masters for painting methodologies, from Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticcelli, all the way to Odd Nerdrum and Lucian Freud. I use the tonal approach and build layers in oil to achieve a luminous effect to the skin tones and other elements in my paintings.
Pilar was born in Manhattan, NYC and immigrated to La Paz, Bolivia when she was just a few months old. She grew up in La Paz until, at the age of twelve, her family moved to Whitehorse, Yukon in Canada. There she lived and attended junior High School. She had her first painting lessons in Haines, Alaska where she lived and painted with artist Sherry Takala at Noah's Art during the summer of 1985.
At the age of 17 she moved back to La Paz where she started attending the Academy of Art Hernando Siles and later enrolled in the Fine Arts program at Universidad Mayor de san Andres.
Pilar obtained her BFA at the University of Victoria double majoring in Art History and Visual Arts.
After much traveling Pilar has settled in Vancouver where she paints full time.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
© Pilar Mehlis
Posts
