​​Young bucks (a love story), 2017 by Toni Hamel (b. 1961) Oi | Serious Art

​​Young bucks (a love story), 2017 by Toni Hamel (b. 1961)

Oil and alkyd on cradled panel
24 × 24 in; 61 × 61 cm

"I'm a late bloomer as you can see, but I'm convinced that entering this field later in my life has had its benefits. The many years spent practicing in obscurity and away from public view has had welcome implications, in fact: if on one hand it afforded me a clarity of thought/direction and self-assurance in my own voice, on the other it has allowed me to achieve a refinement of execution that I don't think I possessed in the past.

I'm methodical to a fault when it comes to art-making. My method nowadays has become quite formalized and structured - I find that I'm at my best when I follow routines. I usually start my day by drawing thumb-nail sketches while I let my mind roam free, welcoming cognitive associations and improbable juxtapositions. To stir up the creative juices, I may listen to songs by Leonard Cohen or Fabrizio De Andre for example: beautiful poetry accompanied by soulful music. I find that their words stimulate my mind and allow me to conceive visual juxtapositions that are always interesting and novel."
― T H