About my paintings
My paintings do not allude to the rumble of bulldozers in the distance, or the whiff of the smoke of burning trees wafting in on the summer breeze. They are clearing nearby; not just here, but everywhere in the Northeast Georgia area. In North Georgia, NASA and UGA report that 41 acres of forest are cleared PER DAY.
While concerned about the environment, rather than politicizing, I paint places that are peaceful and serene, indulging in lengthy contemplation and observation of the natural world, expressing appreciation for the beauty and wonder of the ordinary landscape, as it exists now, on the brink of disappearing. However, because they bear few references to anything other than the natural world, the paintings are timeless.
In 1986, when I returned to Georgia after living in Italy for over 10 years, I painted landscapes that were more related to color field painting or were even abstracted into geometric, optical patterns. (Bridget Riley meets Rothko) Over the years I have gone through various influences and stages of development, even admitting an attempt at abstract expressionist action painting - the result of which was realistic landscapes. Having discovered that I will end up with a landscape regarless of what I set out to paint, I have learned to go ahead and plan for it and make it as meaningful as possible.
I paint my view of this world on the edge of wilderness and cultivated land. I see my place as a being at the juncture of the woods and the pasture, fallow areas and my flower beds, nature left alone and nature cultivated, man in harmony and man in conflict with nature. For better or worse, the landscape is changing very rapidly, so in part, my choice is kindred to the 19th Century landscape painters who were capturing the the peaceful landscape as it succumbed to the "Industrial Age".
Now, in a world filled with well documented violence, terror, poverty, injustice, war, disease, and so on, some say that an artist should make art relevant to all the terrible issues in life that need to be addressed. It is my belief that the media are pretty much covering all that is terrible.
I find that peace and healing come through seeing God or "good" if you prefer, like they say, "in the details"... in a foggy morning with sunlight beaming through the mist, in a loudly multicolored leaf or brilliant flower, or ordinary leaves with the light animating them into a thing of awe and beauty, the evening light shining amber on the trees casting deep shadows, the tabby cat like a tiny tiger stalking a grasshopper in the jungle of the flower bed, the mystery of a mountain reflected in deep green water, or the smile of a child.
We need to give to others, but we also need to nourish our souls in order to have something to give. Beauty in the natural world is a symbol of all that is good in the world, a source of renewal of the spirit, and a promise that there are good things to come in the universe, in spite of what is in the news today.
I paint my paintings as contemplation or meditation pieces whose function in the world is to provide a momentary respite from the striving and struggling in the world. My paintings are a meditation of gratitude and a prayer for peace.
I especially dedicate my work to those who must commute in urban traffic and work in office buildings.
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Technical information
Most of my recent paintings are in acrylics on canvas, but I sometimes work in oils. I sometimes prefer the quick drying time of the acrylics and the possibility of overpainting immediately. I had a very bad allergic/sensitivity reaction to oil paints which I discovered was mostly due to the resin medium and the turps and mineral spirits I was using. Now, whenever I break out the oil colors, I "wash" my brushes in mineral oil and keep my studio VERY well ventilated.
I used to say I loved the richness of the oil paints and the possiblitly of blending the colors over a period of time. But now I have officially crossed the line where my acrylics are definitely more richly glowing and I am more proficient with them.
The almost moot point of the sand versus smooth surface has devolved because the sand really only works for certain applications like mid- to background foliage, and otherwise constitutes a hindrance for brushwork. Still, I love the pouff of a red and purple bush with the green scumbled onto the grains of sand to make a finely articulated (almost pointillist or pixelated) surface that so effectively describes foliage viewed from a distance. The first sand paintings that I did had the sand mixed with the gesso and I perhaps didn't have enough binder in the mix so I had some flaking problems.
Subsequently I used more acrylic emulsion in the sand and gesso mix and acrylic paint over it, but the acrylics tended to quickly bead up and give a whole different, coarser and glossier texture that works for some things and not for others. I also tried resin gel for the binder and used oil paints and was sick for days from the fumes, although I have one unfinished painting that has the sand and other debris glued on only where warranted, with sky and water areas smooth.
The search is still on for the best way to say what I want to say, be it paints of whatever kind or photographs or digital art or combination thereof.
I find that one discilpline informs and nourishes the other, so, not only do I like alternating painting and computer work, but I find it quite stimulating mentally and visually.
I have just begun to learn to set aperture and shutter speed manually on my digital camera and I have armed myself with polarizing and N/D filters, so I hope to raise the bar on the quality of my photos as well - whether photos for painting reference, for documentation of the paintings or for photos to print and display for themselves.
In the creation of a painting, I use multiple photos and also plein air experience, sketching or painting on site, as well as some invention based on past observation.
The length of time each painting takes varies, but I rarely do quick and easy paintings. I have a process of layering over a warm underpainting and scumbling, stippling or short stroking top layers. I always observerve lights and darks within lights and darks and cool and warm areas within a given hue and value area.
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