Art and Poetry: When I touch you

Author:
Mohan Kumar
Updated:
Nov 12, 2016 8:37 AM EST

Intimate Art

There are paintings that have a certain quality about them that drags the viewer in. You feel as if the artist has the ability to capture those moments that are intimate and evocative. Such art not only gives immense pleasure in viewing but also inspires me to create.

Paintings that connect in a way you are no longer an observer but a participant are a class above the rest. When I find art that invites me in, I want to share it with others to see if it has the same connections, the same intimacy with others that it conveys to me. It may be naive notion. Art influences each one differently. But surely there is a commonality in great art.

My attempt at discovering artists that are unfamiliar to me and then share it with others has resulted in some pleasing feedback. It is good to know how this shared act of appreciation creates a feeling of togetherness.

I recently came across the watercolours of Steve Hanks. I realised how the intimacy he portrays fitted so well with a poem I had written some time ago. A poem that in itself is an intimate exercise. Many of you have told me that in your comments- for which I am ever so grateful.

So when I went about rejuvenating my poem for here, Steve's watercolours seemed the right match. See what you think about the Steve Hanks sensational art and my own humble poem.

And do let me know ...

Catching the Sun - Art by Steve Hanks

When I touch You

♡

When I touch you...

There’s starlight in your eyes

I hear the music in your sighs

When I touch you...

There’s a tingle in the air

My fingers brushing through your hair

Moments pause and time stands still

Moving close is such a thrill

Let me drink you till my fill

You’re my drug my magic pill

♡

When I touch you...

You curl up closer in my space

I kiss those worries off your face

When I touch you...

Tracing map lines on your skin

I like the way you glow within

You can read me like your books

Resting cheeks on shoulder crooks

Steve Hanks

Born in San Diego in 1948, Steve Hanks grew up on the beaches of Southern California. The sunshine and sea had a profound influence on his childhood. He loved the beach, surfing and swimming to his hearts content. Later the family moved to New Mexico ( His father was in the US Navy) and Steve went to the Academy of fine Arts in San Francisco. His genius was apparent even in that early age, garnering him high grades in commercial art. He then got his Bachelors degree at the California college of Arts and Crafts.

When he took a job as a caretaker at a Campfire Girl's camp in New Mexico, Steve started experimenting with various media- oil, acrylic, watercolours. He feels that the enormous number of hours he put in playing with these materials improved his sense of light and shadow and enhanced his familiarity with the colour palette.

Steve soon found his niche in hyperrealistic watercolours that defy belief. His innate sense of light and colours, his ability to draw realistic figures soo drew a wider audience. Steve can not only portray sensual and hyperreal characters, he can also add so much intricate detail to his work that they have that sense of emotional intimacy. He calls his style 'Emotional Realism'.

Looking at his work, we can see why.

He is now a highly decorated american Water colour artist.

His Website is at Steve Hanks Collection