DK (Deke) Palecek

“What intrigues me most is the symbolism woven in the human brain that allows one simple stroke to suggest an intricate object or a complicated scene. I will never tire of the thrill of that phenomenon”

I am an oil painter based in Northeastern Wisconsin and I am an imposter. We all have imposter syndrome to some degree, but I am certifiable. With a BS in Math, an MBA from Berkeley and a job history that includes mathematician, investment banker, COO, Venture Capitalist and Enchanted Queen of the Universe (I founded two companies and could choose any title I wanted), bona fide Artist was not on the career path. And … so I pretend.

My fascination with art, with painting, is a fascination with brain science and the power and plasticity of the brain. I focus on the link between the eye and the brain. The brain assimilates volumes of visual information in every moment and can translates it into a feeling or an experience within seconds.
For me, painting is this process in slow motion. The challenge is not to lose this glimpse, this feeling, this experience, in the translation. The challenge is to provide just enough information to capture that moment.
My ambition is to find that place where a single brushstroke becomes a solitary building or a whole street; a simple path or miles of landscape; the difference between warmth and comfort or solitude and empty space. I paint with this delightful, ceaseless challenge all around me.