“A painting requires a little mystery, some vagueness, some fantasy. When you always make your meaning perfectly plain you end up boring people.“
-Edgar Degas
I work with layers of paint – lots and lots of layers of paint, applying paper, canvas scraps, more paint, more paper, scraping, sanding, more paper, then more paint. This is how I work, building up layers of life on the surface quite often covering up the areas I am first drawn to in order to find a balance of the whole – nothing can become too important and then, everything becomes important. As the work progresses there is a history that starts to develop, traces of memories that start to emerge as shapes and colors peek through from the buried layers deepening the mystery of the work. A painting will change from the deepest green to the lightest of tans and I wonder why I did not start with the simple tan color in the first place? It is the process of getting to the tan, getting through the green, building up the layers, living the memories, erasing the past and then allowing it to peek through just enough to deepen the mystery. It is the evolution of the work that gives it depth, interest and mystery.
"Logical Edge" 24" x 36" work on canvas
Work is available.
“The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery.” - Francis Bacon
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Nicely said.
Nice work and I enjoyed reading about how your compositions come together. Few people understand all the work that goes on from the start of a blank panel or canvas until the finish. Another topic may be: how to know when it is completed.
I looked at your tag words and you use mixed media. Do you combine several painting mediums in a painting or do you usually use one? i.e…acrylic, gouche, watercolor, oil etc.
Good question Ginny. The mediums I combine( mix) are generally, pastels, prisma pencils, cut paper collage, other collage elements and acrylic paints. I try to stick to acrylic mediums for conservation purposes and do not add oil mediums into the mix.
I like to know your thoughts on when you feel a painting is finished…or anyone else? That would be an interesting subject to talk about…
I go through much the same process in my work and have had that same thought,why did I not just start with this color that I have arrived at? A rhetorical question only–because as you say it is all in the getting there–and even if there is a lot of paint that lies under the surface, nothing is wasted–
It sound as if yo work in a similar way to me. I would enjoy following your blog. I am new to Facebook so I am learning how to do that.
I love working with paints and textures and colours. The layers are what I find most interesting.
I enjoy your thoughts.
Ciao, Valorie