MARIA KAPRIELIAN

Streams of Consciousness (Looking at the Surface and Below)

ARTIST STATEMENT

Many memories of my childhood center on a stream flowing through the undeveloped lot next to my home. I spent countless hours playing there with my friends, wading through the icy water in my bare feet, looking for salamanders and constructing rock dams to alter the flow of the water. I’m still fascinated by woodland streams, although now I take a more observational role: watching the passage of the water over the rocks, peering into the depths and enjoying the glints of sunlight reflected off of the surface.

I think watercolor is a great medium to paint the impression of water. There’s the sense that the water and pigment are doing exactly what they want and you can only surrender to the flow. Passages of movement and stillness invite the viewer to feel the rush of the elements or to stop and dip their toes. Like my memories, the paintings may be more realistic or vague, but for me, they all represent a part of the same whole.

ARTIST BIO

Maria Kaprielian is a Mahopac artist with a passion for the natural world and all it encompasses. Her education includes BA and DVM degrees from Cornell University and a BFA from SUNY Purchase. Her artwork has been featured at the Mahopac Public Library and Tilly's Table at Tilly Foster Farm, and she has participated in many group shows in the Hudson Valley region. Her favorite medium is watercolor because of its luminous and spontaneous properties.

*All works displayed here are on display in the Kent Library