Words and images by Pia De Girolamo

Is change good? Is it bad? Can it be scary? Is it inevitable?  

Artists are often told not to “change their style” if a particular way of painting has brought them success. There is a perception that after years of study, trial and error, “experimentation” if you will, an artist finds their true style and settles in for years of producing variations of the same painting. There is the impression that the question of “Who am I as a Painter?” must be answered definitively in order for the artist to be taken seriously. Artists can really stress over this question. But as one friend put it, “Change is part of being alive and growing.”

While exploring particular themes, artists are attracted to the work of their predecessors and emulate their styles, ultimately finding their own unique voice.  Much like scientific inquiry builds on discoveries of the past, artists of the present build upon the art of the past. However, the artistic journey is complex and the artist discovers new artists, new media, and new lines of inquiry, and one’s art changes. The process of art making is as important and perhaps even more important than the “final product.” As the saying goes “It’s the journey, not the destination.” That may be too glib but it contains the truth. If you focus on the final product it may end up being soulless, but if you pay attention to the nuances and zig zags of the journey the final product will be alive and interesting. When one focuses on the journey in making a painting — that is the intuitions that arise,  the hundreds if not thousands of observations, decisions and marks made — you accept where the journey takes you and you might be surprised by what comes out in the final painting. To work like this is to accept the possibility of change. 

Continuing to be curious about the world is a good way to deeply appreciate and enjoy life. Zen philosophy emphasizes “the beginner’s mind…” an attitude of curiosity that keeps us open to change. I try to listen to my interior voice when it tells me when it’s time to pursue a fork in the road with my painting. Remaining open to change, trying something new and not judging your efforts can be hard and anxiety-provoking but it can lead to good things and in the end is always a  learning experience.

Below is a selection of some of the paintings I have made over the years, from 2006 to the present.

Pia De Girolamo is an accomplished painter living and working in the Greater Philadelphia area whose recent exhibitions featured large-scale paintings based on abstracted mountain landscapes, as well as a series evoking the urban landscapes of Rome and Italy. She has had thirteen solo exhibitions, most recently at the Museo Mastroianni, within the Musei di San Salvatore in Lauro in Rome and at the Cerulean Arts Gallery in Philadelphia. She has also shown extensively in group exhibitions regionally.  De Girolamo has a BA in Art History from Barnard College, Columbia University and an MD degree from the University of Rochester. She lectures on the relationship between art and medicine as well as the connections between art, nature, and health. Her awarded work has been acquired for collections by the Museo Mastroianni, Rome, PNC Bank, Pittsburgh, PA and Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia and has been highlighted in Hollywood feature films. For more information on De Girolamo’s work: piadegirolamo.com