Featured Artist Monica Loncola

Artist Monica Loncola paints striking floral and ocean images that reflect the patterns found in nature. Visit her website to enjoy more of her work.

 

 

I was born with a passionate curiosity for the world around me and began drawing at the age of three.

 

 

When creating, I find myself stopped in my tracks by a guttural pull to create an image of what’s before me. My “go to” place is the edge of the ocean where land, air and water converge—the ocean’s energy invigorates and calms simultaneously.

 

 

Many of my works are inspired by nature and the fractal patterns of organic matter. My studio is filled with specimens and found objects I’ve collected throughout my life which provide constant inspiration for my work.

 

 

I see my ability to create as a gift. I work in graphite, ink, pastel, oil and watercolor and the subject matter dictates the medium.

 

 

During lockdown, I started painting the views out the windows of my studio and the roses blooming in my garden. Intuitively, this led me to create a series called Color Fields which were inspired by fractal patterns found in nature.

 

 

In some of the works I filled an entire canvas with repetitive brushstrokes of a certain color that I was drawn to. As I moved from fields of color to the form of the rose, I painted in a repetitive manner, like a meditation in an alpha state of fluidity.

 

 

Our bodies have seven chakras, each represented by a different color. Working intuitively, I find that certain colors suit my temperament on a given day. I feel the need to absorb myself in that hue.

 

 

Alternately, I read about the symbolism of a certain colors and gain insight to what’s going on in my life and the energy field the color represents. I’m influenced by the late great master painter Wayne Thiebaud, who used a technique of halation to enhance the vibrancy of a color juxtaposed to it.

 

 

The universal symbolism of roses has been painted for centuries. Roses symbolize the feminine archetype, where life begins. They bring joy and hope and have the ability to lift one’s spirit. I paint the essence of their form in a chiaroscuro manner.

 

 

My palette changed during lockdown from earth tones to more bolder and vibrant hues. Painting with higher keyed values raised my vibration. The works you see here are inspired by sea urchins, sponges and roses from my garden. I see these subjects as the Gifts Of Gaia. My intention is to share my personal observation with the viewer. If I can evoke emotion through my work, no words are necessary.

 

Artist Monica Loncola invites you to follow her on Instagram and the Circle Foundation for the Arts and The i Spot websites.

 

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