Imagery, Poetry, Music, Art
2 PHILIP MIX: THE EVOLUTION OF AN ARTIST — UPDATED!
I am honored to call Philip Mix one of my best friends. Not only is Philip a wonderful Christian, but he is also a brilliant artist. And not only is he a brilliant artist, he is also an extremely gifted art restorationist. His grasp of color and space and light is almost magical. This is a sampling of his works I have enjoyed going back thirty years, from Penumbra to the present, The Abduction of Europa. Oh yeah, he is also my brother-in-law. Enjoy!
After viewing these paintings you can read a short interview with Philip at the end. Just click a painting to enter gallery.
With a strong interpretative design sense, the works of Philip Mix display an elegant thoughtfulness; a balance of convention with a probing inventiveness.
This excerpt is from an interview with Ariana Flynn, January 27th, 2011:
Question- Would you say you paint in any one particular style? What technique do you use?
Philip Mix– I use a technique of placing two or three colors in more or less vertical strokes next to each other to create a shift that modulates or adds depth to the surface. The forms are delineated with a soft line that also shifts color occasionally. I base the idea on stained glass windows.
Question- Do you work from life, from photographs, or from imagination? What inspires you to create?
Philip Mix– I have used all three of the resources at various times in my career but at this time I work with an idea as a starting point and play about with design. Artists of the past such as Picasso and Braque contribute to my inspiration. Not that I wish to imitate them but I am fascinated by the ideas they initiated by their own exploration. In particular I am intrigued by the question, “what is TIME?”, and how does memory affect the way we see. Many writers too, have explored this theme; it seems to be a universal question.
Question- What is more satisfying—producing art or discovering the viewer’s reaction to your art?
Philip Mix– I paint to create a dialogue and I would never want my art to be so obscure as to not be understood. However, ultimately the process of creating paintings is the prime reason for my internal drive and motivation. I feel this is a God-given thing and stopping it would be like trying to stop a train. I would never produce a work simply to satisfy what i thought another individual liked.
Question- Do you find titles to be integral to understanding a work of art? Do you feel the meaning of your work needs justification or explanation?
Philip Mix– Explanations help—the ideas I am trying to convey don’t immediately appear evident to the viewer. Yet I think all the clues, titles included, add to the substance of the work. Locations mean nothing to me nor the exact type of tree, for example. Form is my medium and light my brush. I paint to express an awe, an idea, and a puzzle.
For more information visit: http://philipmix.yolasite.com/