I've got a show coming up in November... I thought I would be able to get this larger sized piece finished beforehand. Turns out I can't... not if I don't want to rush it anyway, which I don't. It always turns out better when I take my time and let it flow.
Anyway, the show is November 5-6 at the Waterside Inn in Port Credit. Details here: https://artsonthecredit.ca/fineartshow/
I'm working on a larger botanical painting for an upcoming show. This is the second stage in my process.... here I lay down collage elements, primarily text, on my intuitively painted background.
This does a couple things. First, it gives me some interesting shapes to work with. I like using text because using letterforms in art feels like adding a contemporary element. It's like a newspaper or magazine headline, and I grew up in a world where print media was king. It also adds some edges that take paint differently, giving a variety to my marks.
Not all of these elements will be visible in the final painting. I used to think that painting like this was a bit wasteful... why layer on all these things when half of them are covered up? Now I understand that all these layers of paint add something to the texture and richness of the piece, and allow me to utilize some other techniques, like sanding or scraping, that actually remove top layers to reveal hidden gems. Every thing I add or remove makes for a more interesting surface, and that makes a painting something that will draw the viewer back to it many times. If I can see it all at first glance, what is there to bring me back?
I'm posting shorts of my painting sessions on my YouTube channel. I may not remember to film them all, since I seem to be a bit hopeless in the sharing department, but I'll try. I even have a post-it on my easel to remind me!
