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connie_selfportraitSymbolism in my  oil paintings

Hi, I’m Connie Hanselman and I paint invisible things, like the struggles of life and the gifts that emerge from them. I work by looking intently at real objects, giving solid form to spiritual ideas.

I am interested in what kinds of things affect how people see, both visually and internally. Changes or distortion in vision are met with concerns about space, scale, and repetition. Multi-layered in meaning, these paintings are a combination of influences. Portions of famous masterworks pay tribute to my study of art history, and are intertwined with nature, technology, and items received from friends that add even more depth to the narrative. I marvel that lessons learned in one area of life have more applications in other areas as well. The paintings depict visually this unseen convergence.

I often pair transparent or reflective items to serve as a contrast to objects with a strong sense of form. Even though color and light are used to direct the eye in the composition, the paintings also read as poems about the human condition. As they are experienced, they are meant to open for the viewer mystery still in the making.