I perceive the artwork I'm doing as both a celebration of life and as an immersion into the mystery of non-mind. When I paint, I set "David" aside and follow impulse and intuition, moving from color to the next without premeditation. It's a nice break from myself, and the colors often surprise me. I don't choose them. Before my animal paintings, I'd done mixed media, and portraits of people -- but something quickened when I began painting animals...and so I went with it. It's mostly about working with color, for me. The subject matter didn't matter as much as moving with the euphoria that various color combinations evoke. But still, painting my initial dog portrait of Emma, my Jack Russell, was quite enjoyable. Seeing her face frozen, content, within an interesting explosion of color forever. And then painting other dogs, neighbors' dogs. And then getting to know the idiosyncrasies of particular breeds of dogs; it's very fascinating how certain dispositions are completely integral to the different breeds. And then....well, somewhere along the line...I became a dog painter. I think I'm going to go with it for a while.
The Moon images I've done came out of some other place, arising spontaneously; I gave them flesh, drawing on my studies of Eastern and Western religions, Philosophy, Mysticism, Magick and Metaphysics. My abiding interest in color and form really helped to make the card line cohesive, and my intention of making a genuinely beautiful, fine quality product -- after having had a lot of fun producing the more whimsical dog and cat products -- contributed to the ultimately exquisite quality of this Moon series... Interestingly, I made the entire line on my Iphone. The immediacy was intoxicating. I've shown a handful of the Moons online, here, but in truth I have many, many more...
David Hearn, 2009
David Hearn, Puget Sound artist
Over the years I've lived in many U.S. cities and have come to know, and appreciate, a huge variety of people (and now, animals). I lost momentum in the American NW -- a good place to lose such things. Now, I find myself living on a little island in Washington state. Whidbey Island. An idyllic life in many ways, and peppered with many wonderful and interesting people. It's in this environment, of beauty, of peacefulness, that my artwork has begun to unfold and blossom. My art is a celebration of life and color, and also satisfies my urge to create (and destroy). I'm self-taught, and have produced the majority of my artwork within the past three years, and first began creating art within the last five. The greeting cards and other products I've made began on an inspired whim, and have turned into something completely "other..." and I'm experiencing a lot of enjoyment seeing it develop. I continue to learn, grow, and cherish...and I aspire to always do so. November, 2010
