Painting, for me, is a way of combining the art of expressing the effects of light on nature, objects, and the figure with the craft of working with tools and materials. I'm interested in the way the landscape is shaped by light and shadow, the effects of atmosphere and weather on a scene and the way reflections describe the surface of water. Expressing mood and atmosphere is more important than depicting a particular place. A simple subject or a sketch can be translated into an expressive painting of composition and color that becomes more than the original scene. Colorful grays can take precedence over primaries or vice versa. The real colors are a starting point. The light tells the story and sparks my imagination. Trees, beaches, mountains and any body of water all have the ingredients for interesting paintings.
The low light and soft edges of dawns, dusks and foggy days as well as the interesting and beautiful textures, shapes and lines found in nature can all be expressed and explored with brush and palette knife. Sometimes with thin glazes and sometimes with thick paint. I use acrylics, oils, or watercolors to express the mood, feeling and design of a scene or concept often starting with a charcoal and chalk sketch. Studio abstracts can start with reference material and sketches or simply by splashing paint and going where it takes me. A series based on multiple versions of an idea or alternate views of the same place are ways I explore and discover a subject. Many paintings can be done from one scene with variations in color themes and paint application. While painting on location, the changing light creates new compositions constantly.
The paint is applied to paper, canvas or board with brushes, palette knives, improvised tools and sometimes bare hands in washes, glazes and impasto. Finished paintings are protected with varnish
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my jewelry website is www.jewelryartstudio.com
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