Alan McKnight is the featured artist in this week’s In The Spotlight series. Alan carefully composes his work with strong abstract structure combined with realistic detail. Inspired by wildlife, botany and geology he strives to communicate the spirit of nature in his paintings.
WAAM: How would you describe yourself?
Alan McKnight: I would describe myself as a flea suspended in the Grand Canyon, still trying to figure out what I’m doing here. I’m a reader of non-fiction because there’s too much to learn in the short time left to me. I draw and paint the non-fiction world for thesame reason; I grow food in my garden, not flowers.
WAAM: Are you a Hudson Valley native? If not, what brought you here and how long ago?
Alan: I came to the Hudson Valley in 1975 from rural Connecticut, attracted by the Catskill escarpment and the musical and artistic heritage of Woodstock.
WAAM: What & why do you create?
Alan: I draw and paint to explore and understand my surroundings and the culture that grows out of them. I focus on watercolor because I love and trust the medium and want to extend its capacity to speak the truth.
“As the world changes, as reefs die, glaciers and ice caps melt, friends disappear and memory falters, I draw and paint what I don’t want to lose” – Alan McKnight
WAAM: What is your sustaining inspiration?
Alan: I draw inspiration from hiking and paddling in wild places and studying the art of masters.
WAAM: Do you have a job to support your art? How is it relevant?
Alan: I worked as a graphic artist in years past. It taught me visual problem-solving.
To learn more about Alan McKnight and to see more of his work click on this link to visit: Ulster Artists Online: Alan McKnight
Categories: WAAM Exclusive Interviews
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Great interview, thanks!
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Alan is, in my opinion, an ideal artist for many solid reasons. The primary reason, however, is that he has his priorities in the right order – an honest, thoughtful, nice human being FIRST- all else including art and ego, a far second.
– Yale Epstein
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I’ve been studying and practicing how to illustrate and color rocks, I really like Alan’s technique
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