“Integrity” ©Tom Hlas 2013. All rights reserved. Mixed Media on Paper, 7″ x 5″
Moving to the country (Norfolk, Connecticut) has definitely had an impact on my work.
As I look back at the art I've created the last couple months, I've noticed that while my use of circles has continued, squares and rectangles have appeared in a strong way.
Village living has spurred memories of the farm landscapes I knew as a child growing up in rural Iowa where the country side is divided into square miles, square miles subdivided into square fields (some of which are planted in contour ribbons), rivers and creeks course through the landscape, sparse trees dot the countryside and linear fences with their vertical posts streak near and far.
My chosen shapes, colors and patterns may not mimic those found in nature but that's not my intent. The paintings are not depictions of actual locations. They won't be found on any map or in any travelogue.
Rather my intention is to create spaces and places where the mind can travel, where one can daydream, where one can mentally rest and enjoy a sense of belonging and a sense of being at home.