Statement about Breakthrough: I've been exploring the monotype process for a few years. This process has gradually evolved from simple botanical transfers to atmospheric landscapes and now expressive interiors. Similar to the landscapes, my goal is to convey the personality of an environment through a textural and colorful interpretation of the space rather than emphasizing details.
Statement about Breakthrough: Exploring 'poured' watercolor, rather than traditional brushed painting, is a bit like painting 'backwards' or like negative painting in traditional watercolor. The image is created by progressively blocking out areas with masking fluid, and then re-pouring color, which creates a very graphic, almost print-like image, and a once-in-forevever color mix that can never be repeated. A unique outcome every time.
Statement about Breakthrough: This is from my ConT!Nue to i-Cloud Series, 35 tins, Gallon of Greek Olive Oil, Another Time - Greek Goddess Icon inspired this piece of art. It stretches the possibility of T!Ns and how one idea stretches to another. The tins are a variety of sizes, this being the largest tin and the piece of art that accompanies it is also large. Thought that this would be a good piece for Breakthrough !
Statement about Breakthrough: Double Fantasy is a small notebook of 15 watercolor and collage pieces of art created on a Lenox pad. Each collage has a small handwritten story. The tiny piece is set inside a small black frame 7x5, the notebook sets on a shelf built into the frame. My Breakthrough - was about scale. Creating one large piece and another quite small. Thinking about how breakthroughs happen, stretching the idea of size. So these 2 very different pieces were created for Breakthrough .
Statement about Breakthrough: I take an expressive approach in my paintings with bold color and texture, seeking to tell dramatic stories of both awe-inspiring landscapes, as well as scenes from “the everyday” which are often overlooked. Working primarily in oil, I often bring in textured paper and cold wax as a part of my layering process. I consider my paintings to be “snapshots” of a particular view, integrating elements of imagination and sensations felt from a particular environment during a specific point in time. I seek to give a glimpse into not only what is seen, but also what is perceived. "Sugarscape" is inspired by a recent trip to Sedona, AZ, during a hike called the Sugarloaf Loop. It was the day before my birthday, and I had a mental "Breakthrough" in the clear desert air that this year I would try to focus on and appreciate the present, like the incredible scene that stretched before me.
Statement about Breakthrough: I take an expressive approach in my paintings with bold color and texture, seeking to tell dramatic stories of both awe-inspiring landscapes, as well as scenes from “the everyday” which are often overlooked. Working primarily in oil, I often bring in textured paper and cold wax as a part of my layering process. I consider my paintings to be “snapshots” of a particular view, integrating elements of imagination and sensations felt from a particular environment during a specific point in time. I seek to give a glimpse into not only what is seen, but also what is perceived. "Mini Mercado" is a section of a previous, much larger 30"x30" painting of a street market I visited in Santa Fe, NM. I had a "Breakthrough" moment when I realized that I only really liked a small section of the painting, and the rest felt cluttered. I re-worked, cut and mounted my favorite part of the piece, reiterating that I as the artist have the power to break the rules with my work to get it where I want to be, even if it's through an unconventional process.
Statement about Breakthrough: This is not my usual landscape! I found painting the water in the swimming pool challenging. I learned a lot in the process.
Statement about Breakthrough: I am typically an abstract painter. With my "Uncontained" series, I am trying to bring some loose figurative elements into my abstract work without over-working the piece or getting to tight.
Statement about Breakthrough: I decided to focus on using fewer, bolder,, looser strokes. I also tried a different underpainting technique using black ArtGraf tailor chalk and an alcohol wash.
Sold Statement about Breakthrough: Focus on fewer, looser, bolder strokes. I tried another different underpainting technique here by using different values of blue hard pastels and an alcohol wash.
Sold Statement about Breakthrough: "Attic Laundry," while featuring the strong contrasts and limited palette typical in my pastels and charcoals, is much more abstract than anything I've exhibited.
Statement about Breakthrough: My previous work has been landscapes, and, while I love painting the landscape, I felt that it was time to try new things, and to speak about what matters to me. After attending a trans day of remembrance at Loyola University Maryland, I knew that I wanted to so series of portraits on transgender people who were either murdered or committed suicide from being overwhelmed by the daily battle against hate. I wanted to use bright, saturated color to show that each person whose life was taken too soon, was a vibrant, authentic, and beautiful person who life should be remembered and celebrated. I chose to use batik, how wax to draw with, and dyes to color, and Posca paint markers. I was introduced to Posca paint markers at the Cherry Street pier in Philadelphia, PA by and artist who showed me how much color can be achieved. I took a series of 4 workshops at ArtFarm Annapolis to learn how to use how wax and dyes in the ancient practice of batik. It has been an exhilarating experience.
Statement about Breakthrough: On this piece I separated the background into quadrants and pushed the color intensity beyond my norm to see how it would affect the varied colors of the subject.
Statement about Breakthrough: Capturing mood, depth, movement, luminosity, texture, color relationships and atmospheric immersion with new paint application methods.
