Artist Statement
Shawnee, Kansas

Wayne A Wilkes

Art is a form of communication – a universal, visual language that transcends communication barriers. For me, it has always been a vehicle for creative problem-solving. By making the intangible tangible, art has purpose. Color is an important element in my work — it is subjective and influences its surroundings while adapting and changing itself to be a part of the whole. I constantly try and work the whole canvas, using color within colors to form a cohesive bond between the shadows and the highlights. I start with rough blocks of dark and light color, slowly refining but never losing a raw type of energy and movement. Broad thick brushstrokes, similar to an impressionistic approach, give way to implied detail while capturing the energy and emotion of the moment.

Originally from St. Louis, I came to Kansas City as a student at the Kansas City Art Institute, where I completed my BFA in Illustration/Design in the spring of ’95. Currently I work as a designer both online and in print, and as adjunct faculty at the Kansas City Art Institute in both the Illustration Department and the Continuing Education Certification Program Studies.