Artist Doug Tripp will be displaying his artwork in our One Door North gallery in McPherson through the months of July and August. Stop in and view his incredible creations Tuesday through Saturday 10 am to 3 pm.

ARTIST STATEMENT

I’ve been drawing and painting since I was eight. My father was in the military, meaning we moved frequently. I lived in various locations in my youth, including Newfoundland, Canada, Kansas, Arizona, Florida, New Mexico, Nebraska, Nevada, and briefly California.

I was born in the Province of Newfoundland, Canada, and my mother’s family has made their living off the sea there for generations. One summer vacation at age eight, I visited my mother’s hometown in Bonavista, Newfoundland. I was captivated by the boats and ships, the ocean, the coastal scenes, the culture, and the history. These themes have inspired my work throughout my life.

At age 19, I settled in Kansas. Up until lately, art making was a hobby. Now that I’m retired, I have more opportunities to take it seriously and devote my energies to it.

In 1989, I studied graphic design at a business college. I found it wasn’t a realistic expression of who I was or the direction I wanted to go… I was doing my artwork for the joy and pleasure of creating, not to make a living. For me, it lacked an expression of my emotional, mental and spiritual self. I had taken a few classes before then to learn some basic techniques, but have developed, for the most part, on my own.

Since retiring, I have had the chance to explore Kansas more and have found many beautiful and awe-inspiring sites that motivate me to create just as much as my hometown. You will see the culture of Kansas within my future artworks.

I consider myself a very spiritual person, and it is an important aspect of who I am. I enjoy realism, surrealism, abstraction, or a combination of them. I use symbolism in some of my art to draw on deep, personal spiritual concepts. I’m not one to go into great analysis about my work: it evolves on its own. I enjoy creating with pencils, colored pencils, oil pastels, oils, and acrylics.

You can follow along with my work on Instagram: @tripp.douglas