Remember back before you knew the word minus or subtract—back when you used the words take away? You know: nine take away two, or one hundred twenty-seven take away fifty-eight.
A little over two months ago I began playing with design elements, line and then shape in particular, as a vehicle for immersing myself in and focusing on the inherent acts of addition and subtraction when painting—not unconscious decisions about adding and subtracting, but mindful, eyes-open, paying-attention, deliberate, being-aware-of-making-decisions decisions.
Hard work.
One discovery: when painting, each addition is a subtraction, or taking away, of whatever was offered to the eyes prior to the addition, and every subtraction is an addition to whatever the painting is becoming. Each and every addition or subtraction is a decision. Each decision begets a subsequent decision.
My take-away, with this piece, a piece I considered cutting into confetti-sized pieces and pitching more than once, is gratitude for having held fast to my decision to engage as wholeheartedly as I could to the intentional practice of adding and subtracting way past my usual threshold for discomfort. I am grateful for having exercised my addition and subtraction muscles, for having sat—over and over again—with the ambiguity of not knowing.
In the end: a piece that now quite delights me! A piece that speaks to me of full-on mystery and magic—what is this painting? Where did it come from? How did it come from me?
Yet, here it is.
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Inviting Risk and Visitation of the Unknown 4.75 x 6.5", acrylic, ink, pencil, and oil pastel on paper canvas abstract 2022 |
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early stage of work in progress, countless decisions yet to be made and executed |
4 comments:
I'm trying to figure out, how you created so much depth. And I can't "name" these colors. In watercolor, they would be considered, "mud". Or what you get when you over mix, or mix the wrong colors together. But I am loving your hues! Light and shadow, scratches and spots and marks, and rubbings? Again I have sat here staring and deciphering and enjoying for longer than I know. Hahaha! Happy creating, from a happy viewer! :)
Sheila, I am having a grand time absorbing and considering and enjoying your reflections on the visual language of "Inviting"—for longer than I know! This art talk of color, mixing, mud, hues, light, shadow, scratches, spots, marks, rubbings, and depth fuels and delights. I am in the messy messy ugly no-man's-land of a new exploration, despairing of any resolution, yet now I am uplifted by the gifts of your keen eye, eager to get back to my studio. Thank you!
Payne's gray, white gesso, and naples yellow hue; black ink; papermate pencil; white and gray oil pastel.
Haha! Happy to oblige, haha. I have faith, you always find a resolution. Sometimes, months later. And sometimes it leads to a new beginning. :) Happy exploring! :)
Oops, thanks for the color info :)
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