Madhuri Yadlapati

My artwork asks the viewer to take another look at the common things around us and see the simple beauty there. I paint in oils, and my primary subject matter includes "plein air" (painted on site outdoors) and still life work.

As I choose a subject to paint plein air, I have an opportunity to slow down and truly observe the spots that we walk or drive by every day, and I find myself interacting with them more intimately. They may be nothing particularly special, but the roads we cross, the shops we visit, the walkways we use are the real stuff of our modern lives and are worth noting just as they are. Still life painting as well really makes me slow down and see common objects more fully. In both cases, I'm particularly drawn to color and light patterns. Whether it is beautiful church architecture or a corner gas station, a handthrown piece of pottery or a cereal box from the pantry, looking at and painting what I see becomes a form of mindfulness meditation to me.