I am seeking light: in my paintings and in myself. The process of searching for light on canvas has mirrored my own inner process of stripping away the dark veil of ego to reveal the claritas, or the radiant brightness of light, that shines from within. The radiance that is revealed is unapologetic in its urgent appeals to the ego, the rational constructed mind, to surrender to joy and presence. Claritas denies the ego its control by refusing to be caged by labels and narrow constructs; with its radiant brightness, it demands only to be experienced.

Claritas is not only the root of my name, Clarita, but, I have found, it is also the root of my being. Through a joyful surrender to color, I have discovered claritas in my paintings as well. Color and light are married; without light, there would be no color. As Goethe said: the eye needs color as much as it needs light. Each color in the spectrum has its own vibration and energy, and when paired with its complement, the effect is dazzling.

The complementary colors in my paintings push against each other with such force that they deny the viewer’s eyes to focus and the viewer’s mind to make sense of what his or her eyes are seeing. The senses of the viewer are so jarred and shaken that his or her mind is arrested by the moment, and he or she has no choice but to surrender to the presence of claritas.