Location during Art Walk EAST:
Donny Bodine Studio
3809 Parry Ave, Suite 211

Artist story and creative journey
I am a figurative artist, working in oil, graphite and ink. My current work is primarily in oils, which has been the focus since 2019. Previously, I mainly worked in graphite and charcoal.

Inspiration and artistic perspective
The balancing of tension and rest is a consistent theme throughout my work. I structure the poses around the way the eye moves through the pose, and aim to create a feeling of psychological movement within a body that may appear to be at rest. Colors are generally inspired by an element of nature (the colors of rock have been a common feature for many years, and more recently the colors of water) The background is not an objective space, but a subjective atmosphere that concentrates all of the attention within the body of the subject.

Creative process
Thematically, I approach a new piece with exploring a specific psychological state. I am looking for ways the model can convey an internal state without narrative or enactment. Structurally, drawing is the basis of my work. I work with the model during the drawing phase, and allow for artistic license in the painting phase. Color and texture are experimental, and frequently evolves as a painting progresses. I often paint in layers and glazes, and occasionally with an impasto palette knife technique. These sometimes chaotic elements rest on the stable architecture of the underlying drawing

Experiences that shaped my work
A lifetime’s worth of them (Let’s skip the beauty pageant question)

What would you like visitors to know
If successful, art will convey things the artist themselves may not fully understand or even be aware of. My work is ahistorical, so no explanation is needed to fully experience it.

Website: www.donnybodine.com
Instagram: @donny.bodine
Email: donnybodine@gmail.com