ABOUT GERAUD
| STRENGTH | ENERGY | RADIANCE | ADVENTURE | PASSION | HOPE | INSPIRATION | MYSTERY |
I desire a life filled with these things, and I believe that we are what we surround ourselves with. My work, then, is a reflection of these ideals.
It wasn’t always the case. Like many artists I struggled with my subject matter. I grew up with a fascination with fantasy art, like the works of Boris Vallejo and Frank Frazetta and even Alphonse Mucha. I tried to emulate what I saw in these artists, with little knowledge of just what that was. Then, in 1998 I visited the Alte Pinakothek Museum in Munich, Germany where I found a collection of paintings by Peter Paul Rubens. I was awed by this collection of works and I latterly felt my legs weaken beneath me. It was the first time I had ever been so moved by any work of art. Ruben’s paintings showed amazing scenes that told a story, and no matter how fantastic these images were they still seemed as if I were witnessing something that Rubens himself must have seen. I was seeing through his eyes. I instantly wanted this for myself.
No longer satisfied with my usual static poses, I began to create stories.
I begin a painting by envisioning a story, then deciding what elements are important to that story. I decide on the model or models that I want to use, arrange the props, and begin the composition. Sometimes that part takes as long as the actual painting. Once I’ve settled on the composition the painting can begin. I always start with the story in mind.
Once creation begins, I can become immersed in the work, almost sculpting the flesh from the canvas. I paint in layers, and each layer takes me closer and closer to the finished work. When a piece is going well I am often filled with a sense ov wonder. I am often outside myself and take great pleasure, in in the act of creating, but of the witnessing of the creation. I have this same feeling when I watch others paint.
I know a piece is done when I can see the story clearly, without distraction. But this isn’t enough. This story is only my point of view. I never want my art to be so one-dimensional. Not this this is a bad thing. Sometimes a painter has a specific and important point. But, for me a successful piece of art is one where the stories are varied for each viewer. When I look at works by Juan Medina or Michael Whelan, I can often see multiple stories, and in my best works I hear people describe so many different opinions of what that works means. This is what I want from my own work.