Looking at my to-be-painted violin, I realized both its organic and geometric shapes. The 20th century artist Man-Ray likened the violin's form to a woman's torso in his Violin d'Ingres. Its carved scroll has an archetypal beauty seen in nature. Underlying this is feeling of austere geometry giving the violin its aesthetic and of course, magnificent sound. I decided to let its own character dictate my choice of embellishment. The subtle flatness of each side reminded me of thin but strong paper. I chose paper as my medium. I was taken by the internal tension of curves, straight lines and proportion. My composition is to replicate this unique combination of elements with the violin itself.
Vivian George is a Senior Instructor at University of Colorado Denver College of Arts and Media where she teaches painting, drawing and design. She received her MFA from Yale University School of Art and BFA from The California College of Art. Her work is on display in permanent collections in the US and Russia. She lives and paints in Conifer with her loyal companions Koukla, Shane and Augie.
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