Garry Scott Wheeler — Contemporary Art Curator Magazine

May 3

May 3 Garry Scott Wheeler

Biography

My name is Garry Scott Wheeler and I am a self taught award winning abstract acrylic artist, author and entrepreneur from the Gulf Coast of Florida. I have traveled to over 100 countries seeking inspiration for my paintings. Fans of my work have told me that looking at my paintings is comparable to lying on their backs, looking up at the clouds and trying to interpret the shapes that they see. I don't know about you, but that sounds like a whole lot of fun to me! The heart and soul of my paintings emanate from vividly seeing colors and shapes in my daily life. I have chosen to work with acrylic paints because most of my work is very colourful and acrylic paints tend to be very bright.

Artist Statement

Many of my paintings attempt to capture a dream that I have had at some point in my past. Music plays a key role in conjuring up daydreams, which many times I even have a hard time understanding. Somehow, between my head, heart and hand, I reproduce these dreams on canvas for others to interpret with me.

Of course, in every place I have travelled, I have also been inspired by the art I have seen in galleries and museums. I especially enjoy the works of Wassily Kandinsky, Joan Miro, Alexander Calder and Jackson Pollock. My artwork is a reflection of my life’s journey, adventures and experiences and I am thrilled to be able to share it with you.

What first prompted you to think of becoming an artist?

I have been a fan of abstract art since I was a child and found myself wandering through museums and attending art fairs to appreciate it more and more. I began collecting pieces at an early age and this prompted me to explore my own interest in painting. I especially enjoyed works from Joan Miro. I wanted to find an outlet to express my own feelings and emotions and I quickly gravitated to bright colors and odd shapes.

What kind of an artist do you ultimately see yourself?

Fans of my paintings say that interpreting my artwork is like looking at the clouds while lying on their backs and trying to figure out what shapes they can find. I want to be the type of artist that makes people think and use their imagination more.

What are you hoping to communicate to the viewer through your work?

I want to help people escape from their day to day problems even for just a few minutes by using their minds in a fun way. I love to use vibrant colors to emote happiness and curiosity at the same time. You will find birds, people, animals, dinosaurs and aliens in many of my works.

Can you explain the process of creating your work?

I generally start by thinking of a dream or experience that I have had in my life. From there, I put music on in the background that I think will help me recreate the feelings that I had at the time. I then select my color palette based on my mood and apply colors in various shapes on the canvas. Sometimes I first apply texture, other times I will use a gloss medium to apply additional layers of color and shapes. I then call out the shapes with black or white highlights while letting my mind wander. I try not to think too much, I just feel and express my own curiosity on the canvas as I proceed with my work.

What is your favourite part of the creative process?

I love the escapism of painting. While I am working I simply don't think about anything else. I especially like the part where I am highlighting the different shapes in my work and trying to interpret them myself as I go along.

Can you give us an insight into current projects and inspiration, or what we can look forward to from you in the near future?

I paint every day so I am always working on a project or two. Just prior to the pandemic, I had travelled around the world for 2 1/2 years with my wife to 73 countries doing everything on our bucket list. We went on a safari in Africa, skydived in Fiji, paraglided off the cliffs in Madeira, explored the Pyramids in Egypt, visited the Dark Sky Reserve in New Zealand, took a hot air balloon ride in Turkey and rappelled waterfalls in Costa Rica (just to name a few things). When I came back, I tapped into my feelings from that life-changing adventure. Unfortunately, the pandemic has really dominated my work lately and quite frankly has caused me to create a few darker pieces than I normally would create. I do hope that people will find solace in those pieces at least. I am trying now to feel more optimistic about the vaccine roll out in the U.S. I am hoping my work will become more exuberant and vibrant again over the coming months.

Website http://www.garryscottwheeler.art

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/garry.wheeler/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/gswheeler