Plymouth-based artist Andrew Kusmin will talk about painting at an event hosted by the Watertown Arts Association.
The Watertown Art Association will present “Capturing Time in a Moment: The Whys of Painting” with artist and author Andrew Kusmin from 2 to 4 p.m. this Saturday, April 9, in The Innovation Space at the Arsenal Project Mall (Old Navy entrance), located at 485 Arsenal St. in Watertown.
Kusmin, an award-winning and widely acclaimed Plymouth-based watercolor painter, will give an illustrated talk based on his new book, “Palette of Dreams,” which presents dozens of his paintings, as he explains his philosophy of art.
In addition to the dozens of his paintings featured in the book, Kusmin will also share works by the artists who mentored him – those who had the greatest influence on his career – and help guests understand what makes a painting stand out and what jurors look for when selecting award winners.
“Palette of Dreams” captures in words and pictures the story behind the authorartist’s inspiration, his reasons for painting and how others can find the all important “why” behind and beneath their own art.
The story of Kusmin’s own journey will inspire you to look again at the everyday events and subjects around you and encourage you to take a new look at the small moments in life, which will motivate you to find your own approach to answering the crucial question: Why paint?
Kusmin, whose work has been exhibited nationwide by the the National Watercolor Society, The American Watercolor Society, the Watercolor Art Society–Houston, Salmagundi Club National, Knickerbocker Arts National and The New England Watercolor Society, will also sign copies of his new book, which will be available for purchase at this event.
Kusmin’s artistic journey has not followed a direct or expected path. The chronology is all about diversity and decades of braiding together his multiple experiences and inspirations to paint a cohesive and fulfilling walkway that his art invites you to share.
The front cover of Andrew Kusmin’s book Palette of Dreams.
Born and raised in Plymouth, art was not the first highway he opted to travel. His early years included college and dental school, plus a stint in the Navy, then marriage and children and a three-decade career in dentistry.
“I was driven at a young age to always be doing, to change what I saw, to improve what I saw, to test what I saw, to see things not just as they are but as they could be,” Kusmin explains.
It wasn’t until 1979 that Kusmin took his first formal art class – at a community center near his home in Westford. Initially, he envisioned painting as a means to relieve stress. But under the tutelage of the likes of George Shedd, Corey Staid, Ruth Wynn, and most importantly, Leo Smith, it quickly became far more than a hobby or diversion.
In 2000 he took a grand leap of faith, gave up his dental practice and moved back to Plymouth to begin life as a full-time professional artist.Talent, time and training, however, are not unto themselves sufficient, Kusmin notes. The work requires discipline, tenacity and sacrifice.
Kusmin’s students were in large part the inspiration for this book, though he suspects this is not exactly the volume they expected. While he anticipates that future offerings will address “how” to paint, this one concentrates on what he believes are the far more important questions of what, where, when, who and – most crucially – “why” to paint.