Earl Schofield
Artist StatementThere are two apparently opposing drives behind my work. On the one hand, I seek escape from my own ego in the cold obliviousness of nature. By undertaking deep observation of nature, one begins to feel a reverence at the wonder of the observed, and a relief from the concerns of self and of man at large. At the same time, painting is always a self portrait, a record of the artists interior life and emotional state. The artist chooses to engage in observation of a subject out of a sense of connectivity. The viseral reaction to visual impulse, mimicing what the artist is feeling, and the choices made when prodcuing the image further convey that feeling. Landscape is ideally suited to this enterprise as it does not insist on the creation of a narrative, allowing us to engage more closely with the artist. Such is the path abstract artists continued to follow further with the dropping of external subjects all together. I chose not to pursue that path to its conclusion because the wonder of the observed restrains me, and because work that encourages reverence for nature today, seems to be more crucial to our well being, on many levels, than ever before.
Biography The artist (that’s me) lives in Dublin, NH where I teach visual art and art history at the Dublin School. When I have time and they let me, I teach at the Sharon Art Center and have taught at the New Hampshire Institute of Art. I build my own wooden boats, take care of my family and get into trouble when ever possible. I don’t watch t.v.., I do vote, I read, I splash in puddles and am prone to ranting and raving. I love New England and like most of us that do, I spend a lot of time cursing it. I take Prozac daily. I have three cats that hate each other and I am pretty okay with a yo-yo. I can sew, shoot, fish, and accessorize. I can throw a pot, use Photoshop and drive a tractor. I have kind of have a thing for airplanes and want to be a pilot some day but am in a twelve step program for addiction to sporty cars, so that might not be a good idea. I am also pretty sure none of this will help make you want to buy my work or think I am more important than I really am, but I do have actual credentials which you can read in my resume, which is not supposed to be funny.