Walter Bartman

Philosophically, my work has evolved to reflect my temperament. I am caught up in expressing the immediacy and movement around us in subjects that change. My goal is to capture the freshness of my thoughts in paint. It is about the “Present.” It is about being immersed in the “moment” and being “gifted” epiphanies. When discussing painting, it is more than just literal picture making. I want to explore and find an idea. I realize my ideas are born abstractly.

I am inspired by Nature. I don’t consider myself a realist and I am not a literalist. I am not wedded to the photograph. My best work starts without a preconceived idea. I am in search of the elusive idea. Like the egg, it is not just about its shell. The egg has something inside. I want to find what is inside a painting. My paintings are a synthesis. Stylistically, I am borderline representational. For me, the mind, eye, and hand move together. Color is the priority, followed by the touch. My favorite subject is the landscape. It is ever changing. Intuition takes precedent. My search is for that allusive essence in the work.

Most of my work in this exhibition is about my experience with Nature. About the sense of place. My studio life has been outdoors for many years. I find that Nature provides an endless amount of visual sensations for the artist. You never run out of ideas because never are two days alike. What is the distinguishing characteristic about working outdoors is that the subjects are bathed in color. Once you have painted outdoors, it is hard to return indoors to work in the studio.

I came to understand the power color has in inspiring us in our everyday lives. I know when I see inspiring color, I want to paint it. I have a need to express the feeling I get when I see it. I have often told my students that I feel color, I don’t see it. I internalize it and I believe color is my fuel. My energy comes from color. My attempt in painting is to preserve it on canvas. The paintings that follow express my passion for color. “It is the dessert for my eyes.”

Bio:
Walter Bartman is the Director and Founder of the Yellow Barn Studio in Glen Echo, Maryland, specializing in landscape and figure painting. His work is represented by Marin-Price Galleries in Chevy Chase, Maryland and The bridge Gallery, Sherperdstown, WVa. Walt and his work has been featured on CBS’s Charles Osgood Show, “Sunday Morning”, and the New York Times. He is an internationally known artist with exhibitions in Italy, the Bahamas, and Cuba.

Walter Bartman received his Master of Fine Arts in Painting and Art History from American University, where he studied with Ben Summerford. He was awarded a Fulbright Grant to study painting in Belgium and the Netherlands. He is listed in the Art and Artist Files in the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Library Collections.
He has been personally recognized by Presidents George H. Bush, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton for teaching 11 Presidential Scholars in the Visual Arts. Montgomery County, Maryland named April 7, “Walt Bartman Day.”