It has been a long journey from the “can I make it look real” of many years ago to “can the subject be just barely suggested so the viewer can participate and explore the depths of paint, color, and get immersed in their own personal journey through the imagery.
Most of the time, these paintings take place in the studio but sometimes the ideas come from painting on location, en plein air. Last winter, my friends Polly, Charlene and myself painted in Animal World in Sarasota and were challenged by the constant movement of the flamingos but also facinated with uniqueness and and beauty of these birds. The paintings were completed on site and on that day
What I liked about the scene was the long long necks of the flamingos along with the tall tall trunks of the palms.
The idea of another painting was to exaggerate the tallness of the of the trees on a 24″ x 48” canvas. That is the subject, composition or design, and the challenge of using a color palette of gray, pink, blue. The remaining decisions are made in the studio in the process of painting, playing with the collage materials and paint, making choices based on my tools, painting experiences and guided by intuition. I never have an end in mind when I begin nor am I in a hurry to finish. The magic and discovery happens in the doing of the painting! In the studio, on great days I become immersed in the process.
Making and playing in the studio is something I have to do. If I miss a few days, I am out of sorts with myself and find relief after a few hours in the studio. I have courage to take big chances and always ask What if I tried that? and the follow up “Why not try it? There are challenges that arise in the process of working this way and also the biggest yahoo when I discover something new or a challenge solved. Most of the time, I am astonished and amazed at the end of the journey.
The painting, Palms and Flamingos is not quite finished.
Modest or stupendous, tidy or messy, the studio is a sanctuary of joy and love–a place where a unique person can do unique things.” Robert Genn