ARTIST STATEMENT
For as long as I can remember I have been creating, my hands busy at work. To create is like breathing. In and out, a part of you that you can harness to ground, to elevate, to soothe, to heal. Like breathing, to not do it is not an option. You take it with you no matter where you go. To work, to play, to sleep, to every aspect of your life. Shape it and form it to suit your needs, to challenge, to learn. Share it or keep it close, quiet, loud, shallow, and deep.
I go to the sunrise, to the same beach, in the town I have always lived in. Tides come in, then out, leaving behind a different trace. The same place, yet never the same. This is my act of painting. I come to the studio, begin the process, start the ebb and flow. At the end of the day, the tide has receded and nothing is the same. Each mark, color and stroke is a new discovery.
Working with acrylic paint allows me to layer traces of what is becoming. Charcoal, graphite, crayon, stencils all lend themselves to the story. A mark, a response, a color, a response, a movement, a response, a sound, a response, a feeling, a response, a pain, a response, a smell, a response. Wild crazy marks, frenetic energy slashes followed by a slow mark tracing a path. I am the tortoise and the hare dancing together all at once.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Paula Borsetti creates abstract paintings that are a story of her life, reflecting her love of family, friends and the natural environment of New England. Working primarily in acrylic, she borrows colors, patterns, textures, forms and movement to create layered paintings meant to evoke personal moments and narrative.
Paula’s training began by working from the landscape. She fell in love with painting then and that continued through her formal education. Being an art educator fueled her desire to nurture and learn. She now maintains a full time studio practice and continues showing locally, nationally and online.
Paula’s Coastal series is influenced by the natural environment of New England where she has always lived. She soaks in colors, sounds, textures, patterns, shapes and forms that she rearranges in her studio to recreate the essence of that moment.
Her PALS series is a body of work inspired by the battle her friend’s son recently lost against ALS. Diagnosed at 25 he fought valiantly for 9 ½ years. For this series she states “I am intrigued by words. I am currently using words describing Bobby’s experience with ALS as layers submerged in the paintings. I am rolling these thoughts and words around in paint and letting them lead the way to paintings that resonate with a sense of strength, hope, perseverance and life.” Even though Bobby lost his battle, Paula continues to use her art to advocate for awareness and a cure.
© Paula Borsetti