IATA Artist in the Spotlight

Lacy Vitko is and artist and art therapist that I met through serving on the board of the Illinois Art Therapy Association (IATA). Her work is striking, complex, and thought provoking. Lacy's work has been featured on IATA's member gallery on Bluecanvas.com.

See her artist's statement below:

My artwork is a visual extraction, whereby what is internally present externalizes through an interrelated system of mental and emotional narratives. Through a process of free association I allow my mind to quiet and wait for a form to appear. Beginning with one color and an abstract form a simple composition takes shape. As I continue building, the configuration of parts allows for thoughts and connections to emerge and interactions are witnessed within the image. A largely intuitive engagement becomes intellectual as the internal snapshots are meditated on.

The desire to understand the forces behind charged emotions, combined with the deep need to release them is what ultimately drives my work. Ones psychological landscape is rich with mystery, illusion, truth, confusion, and allure, an expansive universe just waiting to be uncovered. My work is about diving within and transforming what’s found. The inherent flow found in this process creates a baseline vibration, a place for incoming information to arrive. From here the exploration begins again, opening new pathways radiating with new life. Creating through two-dimensional form is my channel to this inner system.

The Process of Three

For this piece, I loosely painted the image and then poured solvent over image in order to create textural rivers throughout the under painting.
The next layer showcases the contrast between the fleshtones and the green of the background.
Bright blues and violets round out the color scheme. The drips and separations are reserved for the eyes. The idea is for the eyes to serve as portals to somewhere else.
Black is added with a dry brush to add depth to the background.
The finished piece titled, "Three: Insecurity." The washes created with solvent add shimmers of light beneath the figure.

Power in Process

The painting, "Seven: Power," is part of an ongoing series called "Deities." In this series, the type of strengths and weaknesses of each deity are directly related to the number of faces, or entities, from which each deity is composed. This entry is documents that process of creating the image.The original design was reminiscent of links in a chain. I wanted each face to be clearly linked.
Next came the basic color scheme. A bit of a nod to biblical references, "Seven" was intended to appear as a spinning column of fire. As this piece was to represent a profoundly powerful deity, it seemed that it would burn with blue or white flames. The green under painting was intended to match the blue fire that would come in later layers.
Initial detail work in neutral browns.
The greens were abandoned as the blue fire began to feel too conceptual and not aesthetic. I love when the actual application strips away my over-thinking. Warm flesh tones matched the reds, oranges, and yellows.
A layer of pure color provides the structure for the flames.
Black from the tube applied with a large dry brush provided the variety and depth necessary to make the flames look as though they were bursting right through the canvas.
Finishing touches added to soften transitions between figure, flame, and background. Completed painting stands 5 feet tall.

Influences

As an artist, I am driven and inspired by my influences. Referencing their work helps me push through to the next tier of my own art. This is why I've decided to share them. Look to the right and you will see them. Click on the links and you will find them on the web. Thanks for taking to time to see what makes me tick.

Beginnings

As I have continued to spread my tendrils throughout the web via online galleries and social networking hubs, I have begun to feel an earnest need to pull things back together. I am an artist, an art therapist, and an appreciator of art. This site is the hub were all of these things will intersect.