The landscape of our kitchen table and beyond is the setting for this series of paintings. The elements of my work are south windows, flowers, mail, fruit - screw drivers and paint brushes - cats and dogs. This table is a central crossroads in our lives. The ever changing combination of light, color, texture and pattern, across this landscape, is the subject of my work.
The spontaneity of the painting reflects the quick life of the scene, as it expresses the cheer I feel at this visual/emotional mix of sunlight, bold colors and patterns - an animal I love. These scenes, caught in passing, give me a momentary burst of pleasure. My goal is to have my paintings give the viewer that small burst of cheer. Work Process Before I begin painting, I do a series of value roughs, exploring various value options. After making a decision on the value, I paint quick, color explorations, trying out different color schemes. I paint in the moment, working directly from the subject . My paintings are populated with whatever is in the environment at the time. Light from the windows moves fast; my goal is to capture the essence of the scene as fast as I can. Drawing with a medium soft pencil I sketch the composition, working from the subject, then paint with watercolor. Occasionally I use gouache and pastel to change or highlight areas. If I want to change a major element of the painting, I collage a new piece of watercolor paper over the area I want to redo. I stop as soon as I feel that I have caught the essence of moment. I trying not to refine; I want to preserve the painting’s energy and immediacy. I work on a variety of surfaces: medium surface & plate surface STRATHMORE Bristol paper; Yupo paper; d’Arches cold press watercolor paper; cold press; both 140lb and 300lb. |