Artist Statement: John McClanahan

My creative work represents over sixty years of preoccupation and identification with the subject matter known as "landscape." As is apparent to those who view this work, I make no attempt to imitate nature as would a camera. I seek out structure, movement, color, texture, and the effects of light that constantly change. My eye views the scene as it appears momentarily, and then inspiration begins. My task is removing clutter, amplifying or constraining distances and dimensions, utilizing color and texture, and defining mood. This personal response is an ever-changing, never-ending search for my own visual language as expressed through the media of watercolor and gouache on paper. It is hoped that this glimpse of a large land, as seen through a small window, will begin a journey of discovery for the viewer. To step through the window is to experience an environment of overwhelming simplicity and power—a moment caught in time.