New Abstract Painting: Escape Velocity

"Escape Velocity", 5x15" Mixed Media on Paper

This past summer, Toronto hosted the Pan Am and Parapan Am games. It was a big deal. There were events scattered all across the GTA. Everyone I know got into it somehow... they went to events, watched it on TV, a few friends even volunteered to help out. It pretty much took over the city for a good chunk of the summer.

I'm not much of a sports fan. I was never much into team sports until my son started to play hockey, and even then I couldn't really follow the game. I just looked for his number and crossed my fingers he didn't get hurt. The few sports I have taken an interest in over the past few years are olympic type events. Things like high diving and ski jumping. While I was watching the divers compete this time around, I found myself watching their movements intently, and wondering how I could possibly translate a dive into abstract shapes.

This small painting started off as one of many drawings done while watching videos of the divers.... obviously vertically rather than horizontally. When I started trying to translate the drawing into colour and shape I flipped it because the shapes work better for me this way. I think I lost the downward pull of gravity somehow in this one, and that's why it feels better turned. I think I'm happy with this piece visually... if I just focus on the feeling of movement from one side to the other I think it works, even if the sense of a dive is lost. But I will have to try again... just to see if I can do what I intended. It's an interesting concept to play with, and one that can be expanded to include so many things.

And now I'm wondering.... what would a hockey game look like if I was just following the movement?