Layers and Layers

Layers are the fundamental building blocks to the vibrational quality that I want out of a painting. Layers also make for fascinating people. I am working on thirty eleven by nine inch paintings, all on panel, and I have only yet worked on the backgrounds. It’s enticing to settle for “good” with this work, as a generally appreciated effect is achieved with just a few thin washes/stains. Knowing the potential of paint, and detaching from some successful results allows for pushing forward and upward. There’s not much pride in settling for “good,” especially knowing what paint can do with a bit more work. In the process, some lovely details are destroyed, but detachment serves a painter well, and I’ve employed that a lot with these.

I began turning the page on the process today, as I opened up the flashe paint to start the interiors of the pieces. The ovals in the middle are where the symbols are explored, and I’ll be sinking in deep over the next month or so. In the meantime, I am solving the dilemma of what paintings to make for my January show at the Red Arrow Gallery. On the heels of the weird last year, that is proving to be a puzzling conundrum.