Art of Paul Drewitz

What is the purpose of art?  Many have contemplated this question, and the answer is very subjective and differs greatly from person to person and artist to artist. Some feel it needs to make a profound statement, for others it is simply a decoration to break up space on an otherwise blank wall. I want my art to take people into a different world, an escape from reality even if only for a moment.  My imagination has been fueled by fiction novels and movies, in particular the genres of fantasy and science fiction, that I have read and watched throughout my life.  I want to give people the ability to escape from this world, to free their own imaginations just as J.R.R. Tolkien, Terry Brooks, Dali, Guillermo Del Toro and countless others have done for me.  It doesn’t have to be a profound experience, just a moment where they can feel themselves entering a different story where their own imagination can thrive.  This is one of the reasons I refuse to paint directly from a photograph.  My thought is, “If you want a picture of the photo, have one printed.  Otherwise, let me capture an essence with the painting that a photo just can’t accomplish and take you to a world where a photo cannot go.”