Kevin Lee Aita
Artist Statement

For me there is something magical about the act of painting. I do more than simply interpreting the world around me on canvas with paint. I transcend the mundane and elevate what I artist sees to a higher level. My paintings honor what I deem as important and they are placed on a proverbial pedestal. My oil paintings contain a lushness that transmutes what is commonly visual into something higher. I am always amazed when I capture the elusive essence of a figure or the character of somebody in a portrait. To determine which subjects to bestow such an honor, I rely on the muses. I understand the muses to be those inner voices that compel me to paint something. Listening to these muses, I know that I have to paint a subject. I find that a painting will speak to others in a much stronger voice than it speaks to me.

I am constantly amazed at the highly personal reactions that viewers have to my paintings. These reactions were not consciously planned or devised on my part, but happen none the less. It is possible these reactions were planned on some higher level , but as an artist I can only trust that they will occur and paint what I feel needs to be painted.