Harry T. Burleigh

Abstract and surrealistic works of art are thought to be esoteric in nature, and yet even within these groups, no two individuals will process what they are seeing in the same way. For me, the adventure of creating a painting, is not knowing exactly what or who will appear before my eyes until the very seconds in which my brush touches the canvas. Not knowing if my three dimensional pieces will look as immaculate as they did when I had first imagined them. The medium makes no difference as long as the inspiration is present. The enveloping mystery of not being sure of the results, yet still being driven to produce them is what makes the effort of creation so captivating. The process is therapeutic and personal. My influences are vast. I've had dozens of great teachers, most of whom had nothing to do with my formal education. Keeping an open mind and a creative spark have always led to new ideas and methods. Over the years, I've been inspired through an abundance of music, imagery, sounds, and from observing human nature. My methods are perhaps a bit unconventional. Often times, I begin by listening to music while preparing whatever materials I intend to use. In the instance of painting, I put a few strokes on the canvas, then stand at a distance to see if anything comes to mind. If nothing does, I turn the canvas once or twice, add a few more strokes, then view it again. The first image that I get an impression of is the image that I begin bringing forth with conviction. If others start to appear in ways that might compliment the piece, I often include them. These works are not planned in advance. With sculpture, I believe that any materials which are safe to handle, be they natural or man-made, are eligible to be used. I usually only produce sculpture for my own amusement. I get a kick out of looking at a garage full of junk and knowing that I could strategically combine a number of pieces together, with the tools that I have, and produce a piece of sculpture that would have artistic merit. In the instance of digital art, I use a three step process called tertiary compositing. This requires several physical pieces of art, a still camera, and computer software. The end result is a single image. Again, the overall thrill, is not knowing what the finished piece will look like. Intuitively knowing when a work of art is finished is key.