From the Studio of Alan Petrulis

When I was young my grandparents, who still had one foot in the old pagan world would tell me stories of those marked at birth for a special destiny. If born with a caul it was only a matter of time before a visit would be paid in the middle of the night by others who shared the same secret calling. An invitation would be extended to join them in their eternal conflict of the night. If the offer was accepted they would all take on the form of wild beasts then fly far beyond the sea to fight those conspiring to destroy their crops. The battle that ensued would determine the abundance of their harvest and the continuation of their community.

To appraise one’s life while living it is a difficult task. Only over time do events that were often overlooked begin to form patterns and inspire meaning. Others saw an artist in me long before I was comfortable placing that label on myself. Looking back I find my life has been made up of journeys neither planned, nor random. As with the constellations of the night sky it is these paths that I have traced, not the fixed points I’ve reached that have created something beyond ordinary experience. My work is more than depictions of actual places, it is about the journey to get there over a distance further than mere physical space. These too are battles of the night in which I must take on forms other than the self I normally recognize to pursue my quest and illuminate my darkest dreams.