Periodically, I will post videos of my artistic process. While I find what I do intuitive and natural, I realize those who do not make art wonder how it is created. Each artist is different, and I can only speak to how I make art. Hopefully this series will shed some light on that.
I am new to this video thing, so bear with me as I get the hang of it-I am sure there will be comedy along the way! I should get better at angling the camera and keeping the length manageable. The first video I recorded was 17 minutes…and nobody has that kind of free time! I followed it with two short time-lapse videos that better capture the process in a more manageable length.
In terms of my thought process for artmaking, I work to depict the internal ‘landscape’ of the body, which is a liquid environment. Much of my initial layers and background painting seeks to give a sense of that and add depth of field for the foreground shapes. To start an artwork, I select about 5 colors that I want to include in the piece. I also decide on a geometric pattern to put down the initial paint in and often find inspiration from aerial landscape photography (especially salt flats),
I use different mediums to change the look and handling of the acrylic paint I use, especially its viscosity and texture. Mediums can also add body or make paint more liquid. Paint has a bit of gloss to it straight out of the tube. Mediums can make paint glossier or matte, and I like to play with those different sheens in the same or similar colors to add visual depth to a painting.
These first layers of a painting are a time of great play for me. I often don’t have a sense where a painting will head until I start to see what they paint is doing as I move it around on the canvas. These first layers are done with the painting flat, and I often use my dining room for this part of the process because it is bigger than my studio. I can accommodate up to a 5’x7’ canvas. Each layer takes a day to completely dry. Sometimes I will visit the painting while it dries and further manipulate the paint while it is still malleable. Other times I wait until the layer dries and then add more wet paint on top of the last layer.
Here are some photos and video of what that looks like…