Working in Series – A New Abstraction

September 21, 2010 | Filed Under news 

This little painting is one of eleven works being shown at UBC Okanagan this week. The show opened last week with a short artist talk and curator talk. I’ve had a lot of great feedback from the show so far and will be posting some pictures in a few days.

Once again, this piece is the first in a series of four. I like working in series. It gives me a chance to work with different ideas simultaneously within a similar framework. This lets me see the effects of my decision making while I paint.

This series is based on monochromatic colour. The original concept was that by painting the surface of the painting in a single hue, I could emphasize the white underneath and between each square, which would in turn emphasize the construction of the painting.

At first, the piece was a single turquoise/blue, which I then decided was too intense. I began painting out single squares with a darker shade, realizing partway through that the two-toned colour was really working. It’s hard to explain how important that realization is to me. Several years ago I probably would have painted over the entire piece, once I’d made the decision to do so. Learning to step back and assess my art while I paint has greatly changed the way I work. I’ve come to realize the importance of seeing what I’m doing rather than planning it in my mind.

This painting is 11×11″ with wood panels on three levels. Individual squares have also been popped out to create a greater sense of depth.