My Painting Philosophy

What is real in the world is not simply external form, rather it is the very essence of things. It is impossible for any one to express anything real by merely imitating the exterior surface. We must search for the hidden essence.

In landscape, the artist transforms his surrounding by his imagination. This is the lasting concern of poets and artists. The great Chinese landscape painters expressed their vision of the world as one in flux. A world recalled from memory activated by the use of nervous lines and colours.

In abstract painting, I try to convey the emotional experience of what is felt, what is recalled. This quality is more important than any descriptive meaning the painting has.

Peter Kreet