Andrew Atkin
Artist's Bio & Statement
Artist's Bio:
Andrew Atkin earned a BFA with honors in painting from Eastern Kentucky University in 1981. He earned a MFA in painting/drawing from Western Carolina University in 1988. He has acquired over 30 years of teaching experience at the community college level and Lenoir Rhyne University. Andrew currently teaches at the University Christian High School in Hickory, NC, building their Fine Arts program.
Andrew is generally known as a working artist and has been for the last 45 years. He has created hundreds of works on canvas and hundreds more on other surfaces. He has created pieces with other mediums, such as Steel, Wood and plastic in the form of sculptures and other 3-D work. His main medium at this point in his career is working with Acrylic on Canvas (various sizes and subject matter). Mr. Atkin's work is widely collected throughout the United States. He enjoys the experience of garnering awards such as Best in Show to Honorable Mention as well as Purchase Awards for his work. Andrew's art has been exhibited in many galleries participating in solo exhibits to invitational themed group shows of all types. He presently works out of his home/studio in the Granite Falls area. Some of his artwork can be viewed on his face book page; andrew.atkin.18.
Artist's Statement:
Being creative isn’t an easy endeavor. It takes a tremendous amount of focus, deep contemplation, direction, dexterity and pure grit as well as being selfish with your time. It’s hard work and I treat it as a job in which I strive to put in 100% of my being into the process. I only have a small portion of what one might call, “natural talent”. I suppose in reality I have truly struggled with the creative process all my life while learning my craft. Not all of what I create is, to me, successful…I have experienced many failures. But failing is a very important ingredient in teaching yourself the craft. Especially by trial and error. If it came easy what would be the point…really?
For me, success in the world of visual art is rather fleeting. And so is popularity as far as it is concerned with me or my work. That’s not my focus nor my concern. My focus is being able to give my whole being into the actual hands on application of an idea on a surface and enjoy the entire journey to it’s relative completion as an image that didn’t exist a moment ago. That is the real joy!! I often find my self exhausted after such an affair with paint, surface, brush and concept. But I am absolutely elated when I dare to view the end result and see that I completely hit the mark; whether it be the right colors in the right place or just the over all energy that comes from the completed image! When those experiences happen they give me encouragement to move onto the next creation, which in turn tells me, “that’s my reward”. -Andrew Atkin
