William W. Kirsch - Artists Statement

I paint and draw in a variety of mediums including watercolor and oils. My large oil paintings are abstractions of the real world, containing symbolic and figurative references. I work from my subconscious and often begin a painting by cleaning my palette then layering in new vibrant colors on the canvas. The surfaces are worked, textured, and layered until figures and worlds emerge.  

My work is allegorical and reflects a taste of nonsense, chaos, madness and dreams.  With a layer of alpha and an occasional theta wave thrown in, every painting has a frequency of its own - colorful vibrations are visible, usable, soft, natural and giving off prana. 

I am inspired by the natural world around me, the human form, the light on water outside my studio and the work of other artists; Gorky, Nolde, Chagall, de Kooning, Matisse and Gauguin. 

I have spent my life as an architect and in my painting I combine realistic and imaginary elements.  I find that I can marry my desire to give form with my love of drawing.  Although I paint from the subconscious finding appealing images and composition mostly by accident is exciting.  A breakthrough in my painting occurs when it switches from what I am looking for to what I have found.