My surface, whether it’s board, canvas or paper, can be quite daunting at first, but I get on it anyway and start by making marks, mistakes and mishaps. I usually work on four or five paintings at a time and it can get messy and frustrating.
So, I paint over what I’ve done and start again and this time, lovely impromptu textures and colour bleeds begin to emerge.
I work into the texture, scribbling and scratching, creating a million tiny marks with no plan, no vision, just an organic place to grow. I use paint, pencil, oil pastel, charcoal, whatever I can find. If I'm still not satisfied, at least I am reassured that I am building layers in the process.
Reminding myself that If I don’t like it... you know...I can always...paint...over...it
It takes the pressure off being perfect.
I can smile now I realise they weren’t mistakes after all, they were little experiments formed from curiosity.
Now I can begin my ‘Quick Maffs” (Thanks Big Shaque). I add and subtract lines and marks - and it’s as close to ‘proper’ maths as I ever get. (I have a fear of numbers.)
My mathematical language comes in the form of shapes. Circles, squares, triangles, lines, distance, symbols. I can multiply and delete as much as I like until I end up with something that equals a painting.
My love of design and colour comes into play here and Im happy to say, I have no phobias of colour. (I am, however, strangely drawn to, if not obsessed with Pthalo Turquoise, which finds it’s way into every single piece I make!)
The challenge for me as an artist is to stay in the process long enough to allow my work to develop it’s own richness and let me know when its done.
Thanks for reading.
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