Clara Dodd Blalock Painting is a passion that began when I was a very young child. Early in life I became aware of wonderful things that could be made with paint and my world expanded. In the last 25 or so years I have devoted many of my days to painting or making some form of art. I produce the best work when I let it come from a place inside that I don’t know or understand, I call it the ‘zone.’ It is a letting go of my control of the painting and trusting that what ends up on the canvas is better than I could do by thinking and trying too hard. When I put the first mark on the canvas, the painting and I will work together in dialog, my dance partner so to speak. I know the elements needed to make art that works and at the same time I know that I have to trust the process, let go of the reins and be open to surprises that happen along the way, serendipitous gifts that could not have been planned. I don’t ever want to quit growing and changing the way I work. I want my story to be one of evolution. There will always be the quest for that perfect piece of art but until then I will enjoy the journey.