collection of Bruce and Terry Bell

My work is very process oriented, changing frequently during the (mostly) planned trajectory. It becomes a way to explore the self by way of seeing where certain decisions lead and by examining how the original idea plays out-how the idea evolves over time. I try to imbue the work with encountered thoughts and feelings that are difficult to put words to, hence my attraction to visual expression. More than being concerned with creating decorative wall hangings, I see my art as an attempt to make work in a manner that is a fusion of thought, desire, material manipulation and a constant reevaluation of ideas and problems that is informed by life experience, art history and being part of the great big cosmic question mark known as the human race.
The paintings, which I sometimes think of as mind maps, reflect to a degree the creative process that goes into producing them. Past decisions remain visible on occasion, the redirection of thought remains apparent, but there is still that link to the mystery. The work is an attempt at organizing the monkey mind and translating it into a visually workable flat two dimensional surface. Certain colors and lines define regions of certitude at times and at other times are reining in areas of pictorial chaos, controlling it, if you will, to create a dynamic image. The organization is the crux of my work. The paintings become spaces to be inhabited mentally.