Herzl Kashetsky awards speech

… CREATIVITY is a part of our nature …

I would like to thank the Sheila Hugh MacKay Foundation as recipient of the 2011 Strathbutler Award. To the Board of Directors, I would like to extend my sincere appreciation for the work you have done & continue to do in carrying out the foundation’s support for the arts. And to Kathryn McCarroll my heartfelt thanks for your encouragement & belief in my work.

Saint John has a very long tradition in the visual arts, and I am proud & honored to be a part of it. I was born & brought up in Saint John and have made a conscious decision to remain here where I continue to maintain a studio.

Following in the footsteps of the likes of Jack Humphrey, Miller Brittain & Fred Ross, is not an easy task. Those are pretty big shoes to fill, – so I wear special insoles.

As a child I loved to draw and I’ve been drawing ever since. I am often asked; ” What do you like to draw, the most?” My answer to that is; “ I like to draw money out of the bank, the most.In the past, I have drawn criticism. And I would like to draw your attention, to the future.

Surrounded by the talent of many upcoming ‘emerging artists’, it’s nice to know I’m not simply written-off as a ‘sub-merging artist’.

I was fortunate to grow up in a creative environment, and I am still – growing up!

I believe that CREATIVITY is a part of our nature, and manifests itself in all disciplines, the humanities as well as sciences, from the simplest to the most complex of things. Creativity is the engine of life. – atoms create molecules / molecules create matter / a seed creates a plant / living organisms create another living organism / and the human mind, creates ideas.

I’d like to thank anyone who has ever looked at a work of art of mine.

Early in my artistic career, I experienced a significant period of growth & development; I grew a beard and developed arthritis.

Composition, line, colour & tone are all very important elements for the visual artist, but shape is the MOST important…….because if you are out of shape, you can’t do much of anything! Line is another important thing which concerns an artist, and inmy case, it’s my hairline!

I’m often asked the question: “How long does it take me to do a painting?” My answer is always the same – ” TOO LONG”.

I would like to thank Faith for her patience & support.

To summarize; as I observe the world around me, I interpret with thought & feeling and express it with imagination or realism, as a work of art.

– Herzl