What makes me want to paint?

I agree with Tolstoy who in 1896 wrote about art:

"it is a means of union among men, joining them together in the same feelings"

- Leo Tolstoy

So, as far as I can understand it, the driving force behind my paintings comes from my basic need to share the way I experience the world around me with somebody who is receptive and responsive to my feelings.

Motives, gradually evolving in my mind, are often based on my experience with surfaces showing some kind of imperfection or decay.
An old weathered wall, a peeling paint, a tired face … all such images remind me about changes that nevertheless how slow they sometimes may appear, they are both continuous and unavoidable.

In other words, I am fascinated by the power of nature to break everything gradually down, bringing basic elements towards some kind of equilibrium, and providing in this way refreshed base substance ready to constitute a new matter.

Being fascinated and inspired by decaying surfaces, I am absolutely clear about that the rules of nature apply also to my paintings. So, in order to assure predictable and consistent quality of my works from technical point of view, I find it both necessary and enriching to do all crucial processes involved in my paintings myself.

As I admire the world of shadows, texture becomes an important ingredient in most of my works. I usually work on rigid panel, building the main composition as a texture applied in several successive layers of casein gesso. Next stage, I apply several layers of casein-medium mixed with pure pigments, searching for right composition of colors. Finally, routine processes as varnishing and framing remind me that one more piece of work is ready for its last and most essential task, ....

.... to find its way to at least one more mind.

Thank you for your time.

Ladislav Rubas