painting by Jeanne Bustard

“The Reader,” oil on canvas

I love the process of painting, the tactile quality of the oil paint itself, and the physical sensation of applying paint to a surface. I’m interested in color, form, and texture, and the ways they can be used to create depth, motion, a sense of space, and an evocation of external and internal worlds. I want my paintings to hold the viewer’s interest and induce in them an emotional response.

In my most recent series of paintings, I explore the world abstractly. I believe that abstract art is similar to a fine piece of music that allows people to respond without telling them what to see or feel. Viewers interpret the work on their own. I love the interaction with each viewer who brings his or her own experiences to seeing the painting. I am fascinated by the constant surprises that occur as I paint the world through the filter of my internal vision.

I came to art rather late in life, having attended an elementary school where art class was once a week and consisted of being given a piece of paper, a box of eight ovals of watercolor paint, and one small brush. As I got older, classes improved; but I had no art training after the ninth grade. However, although my formal art training began after retirement, I have made art, looked at art, and read about art for most of my life.

The Reader is a 24” x 24” oil painting on canvas.

Jeanne Bustard, 215-242-4529, jeannebustard@verizon.net, Website