For an artist, there’s nothing as daunting yet exciting as facing a blank canvas. The possibilities are infinite; and so are the risks.

My approach is to simply make some brush strokes or marks or splashes of paint and see what that triggers. I try to keep the process an in-the-moment improv dance between eye, hand and canvas. I try to not let my conscious mind get too involved because it wants order and familiarity and I want new and amazing. I want my paintings to show me things I would never have seen or thought of in my wildest dreams.

Invariably, eventually, something surprising and exciting begins to emerge. The canvas begins to reveal a glimmer of what the canvas (or the only true Creator) had to say.

That’s when you realize that painting is one of the most mysterious and rewarding pursuits a human can do. It proves anything in life is possible if you trust the process.

About this painting:

Veiled Gaze is an intimate exploration of identity and perception, embodying a portrait within a portrait. The focal point of the painting is a woman’s washed-out face rendered almost ethereally on a furled surface. This rendering signifies that her true self is not immediately visible, inviting viewers to delve deeper into the layers of her personality and story. The subject’s wide eyes, filled with mystery, become the gateway to an enigmatic journey. Veiled Gaze is a composition that challenges traditional notions of portraiture, encouraging viewers to delve below the surface. It is a testament to the interplay between light and shadow, form and void, inviting contemplation on the nature of perception and the concealed complexities, secrets and experiences that shape human experience.

Purchase Veiled Gaze at JohnGerstner.com