The Abstract Art of John L. Payne: acrylic painting

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Rush Hour (Circa 1950)

It has taken me days to name this painting! I simply cannot get past the nostalgic feeling I get when I look at it and I feel like I am taking a trip in the "way back" machine. (Some of you will get that) There is a lot of movement and high energy in this painting. I can almost hear the horns blaring and see the taxi's flying by in 1950's NYC. I also experience just a touch of vertigo as I feel as if I am looking up at the sun drenched sky scrapers looming over the city. There is no place on earth like New York City, it's as if it has a life of its own. I have been there several times and each trip is as exciting as the last, however, I am always glad to escape the mad rush and settle back into my quiet surroundings here in the Ozarks.

Untitled Acrylic Abstract

This little painting is small (11 x 14) however it holds great meaning for me. It represents a total liberation from any pre-conceived notions of what people expect my art to be. I am very excited by the artistic liberty that I experienced during the creation of this piece. The entire painting only took about 20 minutes to create and not once during the creative process did I experience that all too common "fear of failure" nor did I have even the most fleeting thought of what it was supposed to be. (I know one of you out there is saying "well, that's obvious" and that's ok...) Honestly, with each painting that I create now, I am experiencing more and more of this emancipation and I have to say that it feels pretty good. I hope you are experiencing liberty in your life today because with liberty comes peace and through peace we can most assuredly say that we are "free at last, free at last"!

Artist Bio

Born in Oklahoma, John Payne began drawing and painting at the age of six. Though educated and involved in the arts well into college, his life and career path drastically changed when he enlisted into the United States Nuclear Navy at the age of 21. As a submariner, chemist and nuclear plant operator, safety became an integral part of his daily life. After leaving the Navy he followed a similar path working in radiation/chemical safety and ultimately as an Environmental Health and Safety Manager for over 20 years before returning full time to his passion as an artist. John is motivated by the works of the mid-century expressionists and current abstract artists alike. While some of John's work is pure expressionism, many of his pieces are more ordered in their chaos. This effort to control the abstraction with a sense of “boundaries” is reminiscent, states the artist, of the efforts we all make to live passionately while still attempting to conform to moral and social responsibilities. John’s work is thought provoking and often littered with social and philosophical commentary. As a Navy veteran John has traveled across the USA and to other countries as well, experiencing sights and cultures which have served as inspiration to his work. After 20+ years of working in the corporate world with art as his hobby, John has recently abandoned “the grind” to pursue his work as an artist in earnest. He offers that the decision was not only overdue but "very liberating". John lives in Springfield, Missouri with his wife Pattie and two dogs.