SQUIGGLISM HISTORY

Squigglism™ - an impressionistic dash that is generally elongated with a curve. A squiggle represents a living particle of  the Divine. The strokes are not blended but pure of color and are applied side by side to give an overall effect of a painting usually a landscape. Squigglism™ will  probably considered a branch of post-impressionism.  - Duncan

Stefan Duncan is the creator of the Impressionistic style Squigglism™ in 2001.   Duncan had recently returned to Fayetteville in 1998 and was recovering from a severe knee injury. During this time, Duncan returned to his art and decided to pursue it fulltime.  He joined Cape Fear Studios, a juried art gallery in Fayetteville around 2000. After a year of exhibiting around three pieces of art a month at the gallery, an art professor, "Sonny," from Fayetteville State University, critique several of the members works. She commented that Duncan's strength was in rhythm. Duncan began his search of artists that had rhythm and he fell upon Starry Night by Van Gogh. He begin his intense continual research into Van Gogh and studied the impressionists style. After several months, Duncan now wanted to find his own voice with rhythm and strong expressive strokes. He created the paintings The Glory Tree and The Color of Wind. The response from his peers encouraged him to continue evolving this style that he began calling "Squigglism." There was pointalism with points so why not squigglism for squiggles.

After a dozen or so of this style of painting, Duncan realized he was doing some things subconsciously. In each painting was a Light Source and usually a solo tree or house over looking the expanse of a sunset or sunrise horizon. The tree represented a man. The roots were his feet; the branches were his arms reaching out to embrace the Divine. The Divine was the source of Light, something found in most of Duncan's paintings.  The Squiggle then represented a unit of the Divine. A squiggle is also the swirl path used by the religious in their pre-prayer preparation or mediation before communicating with the Divine.. Duncan worked even harder to refine his own style. Suddenly, his works were suddenly selling. Several paintings a month were being sold. It was encouragement that perhaps he was on the right path in his development as an artist. His friends at Cape Fear Studios, such as Annette, Gail, Jill, and others gave great support and advice. Oct of 2002, Duncan and Mary went to The Art Institute of Chicago that exhibited 174 Vincent Van Gogh paintings. This was the biggest collection of the artist's work in history. Duncan went to Chicago and studied Starry Night mere inches from the tip of his nose. Duncan made a sketch of his own. He asked one of the security guards if he could leave the sketch in a corner of the exhibited so he could in envision his dream of having one of his works in the same gallery of Van Gogh.

Duncan paints with dipping his brush right into the tubes. He doesn't blend his colors but puts them side by side. They have a blending effect when you step away from the paintings. A barbaric painter he called himself. As the months passed, his colors became brighter and brighter and his strokes more confident. He told everyone he had an ocean to swim before developing a true art style, yet, people enjoyed his paintings. They sold. Many enjoyed the stories and meanings of his pieces. Many were attracted to the bright colors. Others for the swirls and strokes that flowed like magic.  Tom Moore, Duncan's mentor said, "Each painting is a song and every stroke is a musical note." Many said they felt serenity before them.

From Dec. 20 to Jan. 10th, of 2002/003 Duncan sold 50 plus paintings on Ebay. This encouraged him to seek an agent. Caroline York has taken Duncan under her wing and used several of his works in national publications.

In the summer of 2003, Duncan had four exhibits of which each consisted of 30 paintings. He now lived in Charlotte. During this time he was teaching at Michaels' arts and craft store and at Methodist College one night a week through their Recreation Department. Duncan took a six month break.  After a year absence of Cape Fear Studios he returned. On the last weekend of June of 2005, Duncan did an exhibit at the Olde Town Gallery in Fayetteville, N.C. Because all the planets were aligned correctly and with the great enthusiasm shown by Lyn, Sandi, and Alana, owners of the gallery, 12 paintings and 1 commission were sold in the two hour period of the reception. It was the most sold for a solo exhibit in the city's history. In the two week period, Duncan sold 20 paintings. He opened a small gallery for the first weekend of each month shows at the Metrolina in Charlotte, N.C.

It was like a dream for Duncan. People were coming up to him telling him he was going to be famous one day. One artist, "Frankie" a well established artist, told Duncan, "I bet ....no, I know... with your art you will be more famous than Van Gogh." Though that is an impossible dream.... the thought brought tears to Duncan's eyes.  Several days later this was a review from one of Duncan's art clients, "

Caroline York, "Duncan will be one of the most exciting impressionists of our life time." 

Marie Pierre of Boston (Designer), "When you look at Duncan's paintings it will change your life forever."

Yet, where does an artist go to reach greater heights? Do you want to be famous or do you want to be an artist? Can you be both? All that Duncan knew now, he didn't know where he would be a year from now or what would happen to his work when he passes on, but right now, there's a feel of spiritual magic in the air. He wants to become famous because of his art - ah, that's it. There is this excitement of new discoveries and hundreds of paintings crying out to be created. There's the burning desire to make the works better and somehow better express the interaction of the Divine in Nature. It is not only a Cause to create art that brings pleasure to people but to create art that helps the viewer reconnect with the Divine and feel the unity. It is the hope that the works touch a universal truth within our souls that will uplift us and being us to embrace of Divine Love. It is art that unites us with our human condition of our flesh and bone upon this Earth and of our souls in our destinies in the afterlife. It is with the poet Wordsworth's words of experiencing the Divine through Nature, the piercing of the veil by Van Gogh to see the titantic universal forces and man's  humanity that has helped pave the path for art to be our tool in understanding life and our place in it.

Karmelle Chaise, Duncan's manager, "You're art is important for the world. It has to get out. It will inspire people. You're paintings are filled with happiness."