November 2016 – ClydeFinlay.com

Embarking on a journey as a young man in my late 30’s I found myself asking many questions all students ask themselves in the early stages of my first year as a part-time student at the University of Manitoba. My journey was about another part of who I am, I say this because I already had a full-time career in the Justice Department. I entered the Fine Arts Program to search for a passion I had in the visual arts, although this was a new adventure, I was to jump in headfirst. You see I had no formal practice in art, no training of any kind in art, no skills, no simple little drawing hidden away to show I had some talent to even consider going into the University Fine Arts Program.

I even questioned myself to try to answer this ” Who is my favorite artist? ”

An artist should at least know some artists and the art they create, maybe even state why I would even consider an artist’s style, mediums of those artists, possibly know some of their histories. But that was not the case. While in one of my first classes a professor had ask the class that very question, “Who is your favorite artist? ”

In the months to come I was in my art studio classes, as well as the Library searching for artists in periodicals, art history texts, art magazines, art books, essays, trying to find an artist that I would consider someone I would be emotionally and cognitively attached too. My search had been extensive and I had found numerous artists, their artwork that I would find intriguing. But, there was only one who would influence me in my own artwork over the years, he was from Moscow, Russia, he was to exhibit while in the Bauhaus Movement and Europe of the early 1900s. He is now World-renowned, not alive but his work lives on.

I have continued to express over the years about the art I have created and the passion in which I create it reflects on the love of abstraction. I find myself increasingly excited about the first influences from Wassily Kandinsky’s years ( 1866-1944 ), his life and art that brought the history of the early 1900s to the present time and the question ” Who is my favorite artist !”

Clyde D, Finlay

“Capture the experience, the passion and the rhapsody of intrigue in art.”

In September, 2015 I was invited and excepted to Grolice, Poland at Muzeum Dwory Karwacjanow I Gladyszow for a group show with 5 other artists from Winnipeg, Canada and one artist from Toulouse, France. What occurred here was extrodinary, bringing an external explosion of excitement to spark my creative inner self through art. I was able to explore, study, research, experiment, educate and bring a passionate joy of creativeness of my soul through art. I have been given an opportunity, a higher purpose to encounter historic influences in art and artists of the old world. For me to be able to create new paintings in a group exhibit, in a different continent was a epic moment, a journey into my world of art. Being able to acquire over the years the influences of Great artists such as Monet, Van Gogh, Wassily Kandinsky, Miro, Degas, Picasso, Bertini, Giovanni, Rubens, Angelo. Influences of today like Larry Blovits, Brent Laycock, Lian Quan Zhen and of course some of my fellow artists today, Martine Biasotto ( DeTine – International artist), Diane Whitehouse (Professor at University of Manitoba), Ray Dirks (Director of Mennomite Heritage Centre Gallery – News Letter – Canvas), Cliff Eyland ( Professor at University of Manitoba), to name but a few.

This Journey has been with a greater sense of reflection, a collaboration in my studio has taken place, time to create a vision and value of the ideas of my artwork in 2016. Although I have continued to create new art work since my historic trip to Europe – Gorlice Poland, Toulouse France, the South Eastern tip of France and the Mediterranean Sea. There is a calculated action, a desire, a stir of emotion, attention in direction, a maneuver to achieve a new beginning.

All artists need a Jump start to further their aspirations and that is exactly what I did to get inspired , continue to create new art, create a new website, create my status as International artist with media and marketing that required some important up dating. Through the past one and a half months of October / November, 2016 I was taking an online course with Crista Cloutier (<dearcrista@theworkingartist.com>). The direction is to equip me with the desired market in my art portfolio, thus having a great sense and influence in the business world in art. Through the guidance, suggestions and tools provided I gained and found myself on another important Journey. This journey was up lifting, positive, creative in engaging with other artists around the world, such as Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Alaska, and many others.

So these examples are great indicators that are tied into my influences that secure my achievements, as well as growth, honing in on different faucets of life which brings exciting moments. This is engaging in on a New Journey for me each and every time I Jump !

Clyde D. Finlay, International artist.

http://www.clydefinlay.com

“Capture the experience, the passion and the rhapsody of intrigue in art.”