Cowboy Coastal

Oil Paintings by John deLorimier

Artist's statement for the art show at The Lodge in Sonoma County California
I’ve searched around for an easy way to describe my work (artists are often asked to do this) and have come up with the term “Cowboy Coastal”. At first glance, it seems a little off the mark because I haven’t often used traditional western motifs in my work, but I’m drawn to the juxtaposition of the two words. To me, a “Cowboy” means a no-nonsense, independent type—someone who lives close to the land and works hard with the tools at hand to make his way in the world. There is also a great tradition of storytelling and romance that surrounds the cowboy genre and I’d like to think my work emulates some of this ethos. The term “Coastal” grounds my work in a certain place, although again, it is a little misleading. I don’t paint seascapes as such, but I am always aware that I live next to the sea and that geography and culture informs my paintings. No doubt it is more rural than urban, but in my work there is always a human presence — a depiction of the coast not as a pristine idea of the place, but a beautiful terrain, inhabited by people living out their intriguing stories.
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