About me: I aim to create paintings that contain so much thought and passion in every stroke that they cannot be seen in a single glance. With my mother’s motto in mind, “If you paint from the heart you will reach the heart,” I pour my soul like paint into the canvas in an attempt to understand my past, present, and the world around me.
I aim to draw the viewer deep into my work, so that they recognize themselves and the ideas within each of my paintings. Utilizing basic art principles?light and dark areas, contrasting color, dominance, and contrast?I reflect the world around me as I see it in order to help myself and others understand our personal and cultural histories. Meditation is a key component in my busy day to day existence, which includes a full-time job, international Elvis performances, and painting, and I attempt to pass that clarity of thought that I achieve through meditating into my work.
Like life, the ideas for my paintings flow like dreams, but the work is laborious. Sometimes it takes me years of research and thought before I embark on a new work. Carefully contemplating my subject matter, I first have a vision of a completed painting. These images strike like lighting during a day dream, while sleeping, or during a conversation. I journal these ideas for days or months, moving deep within a subject before even sketching anything. When I feel I am ready to begin translating the image from my mind to the canvas, then I expose layer after layer until the thoughts and verbal expressions behind the idea are laid bare, lucid to me and the viewer. I work on that piece exclusively, sometimes for as long as three years, until all of my thoughts have reached the canvas and it looks exactly as I imagined it on the first day in that vision in my head.
In my teens and twenties, my drug addiction had a major influence on my art. This life-threatening period opened areas of my mind that I would have never visited. This opennes in my mind allowed me to shut out the stresses of the world and fully concentrate on the creative side of my being. Now, drug-free for twenty-two years, I go there whenever I paint. I accredit art and Ola Jones, the artist agent who discovered me in 1985, for saving my life. Painting is what gave me the dreams and direction to begin a new life without drugs. As an addict, I painted the negative side of existence, whereas now, my work reflects the positive energy that I’ve brought back into my life.
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Who I'd like to meet:
Philadelphia Artist Samuel J. Formica's Friend Space (Top 16)
Philadelphia Artist Samuel J. Formica has 204 friends.
February At Goldfish – Four Figurative Artists Joan Benefiel - Sculpture Roman Blazic - Photography Jeremy Leichman - Sculpture Benjamin Hunter - Photo-collage February 6 to February 28
This Friday evening we'll have sitarbob (sitar) and Dan Scholnick (tabla)perform this Friday in Fishtown Philadelphia PA at the PostiveSpace Lot, across from the Rocket Cat on 2012-18 Frankford Ave between Susquehanna Avenue and Norris Street. This will be a free but rare public performance. Hope to see you there. http://positivespace. net/
I hear Elvis is making a one night, and one night only appearence in Langhorne, Pa with Patsy Cline!?! I'd love to make it... we'll see if the stars align!
Thanks for the add Samuel!I I really dig Your style!Check out the cover i drew for the Underground Comic I'm doing with Buddha Gonzalez and P-FUNK Artist $tozo!
