statement

Self-Portrait

"We live only to discover beauty. All else is a form of waiting." -Kahlil Gibran

Artist Statement

In my work, I try to reflect the beauty
I discover in my surroundings.A portrait
here, a landscape there, a still life in
front of me, a street scene a few yards
away, or a group of people across from
me, and even my comic book collection
are my inspirations.

Most of my larger cityscape began as
a little sketch. In the studio, I compose
these monochromatic sketches into larger
acyrlic paintings with the help of notes,
snapshots, and even on location painting.

Figure drawing is a real joy for me. I
find that there is a rhythm in the human
figure that is almost musical to me. The
beauty of the female form is in its graceful and fluid lines,while the male figure's is in the strenght and volume of its forms. When drawing the figure, I like to work very loosely and spontaneously.

landscape heroart portrait figure sketches

     My real name is Plaridel Posis Jr.. However, to make it easier for others , I go by the nickname of Neil (given to me by my parents after the first man who stepped on the moon).

      I was born in the Philippines and moved to the United States when I was a teenager . I lived and attended college in Los Angeles, California.

      I began drawing when I was in grade school. I was inspired by comicbooks. In highschool, I took a lotof art classes which introduced me to painting. I really enjoyed painting and drawing that I decided to study illustration in college.

     My inspirations include: Michelangelo, Ingres, Degas, John Singer Sargent, Andrew Wyeth, Van Gogh,Robert Henri, contemporary illustrators and comic book artist. One of my favorite quotes which is from Robert Henri is: "Pretend you are dancing or singing a picture. A worker or painter should enjoy his work, else the observer will not enjoy it ....his works are full of the beauty of his enthusiastic interests in life. All real works of art look as though they were done in joy." I try to practice this philosophy in drawing and painting. WhenI apply this to the creative process, it makes the task of painting or drawing flow more naturally and the results become more enjoyable.

      Presently, I am living in Pasadena, California working as a freelance illustrator.

E-mail: hero_art@yahoo.com