Artist’s Statement
Statement Concerning the Art in the Recent Works Series
The paintings that I have included in this series are experiments in color and representational image minimums. There is a high degree of control in building colors on the canvas in terms of hue, saturation and value. On the other hand the rigor of color control was offset by the freedom associated with manipulating the viewers’ perspective, resulting in some begging-to-be-believed curved spaces and compelling points-of-view.
The works in this series show a mature style incorporating a variety of contemporary influences, minimalism, op art, and color theory to name a few. As always, the artist’s concern for color and line are shepherded in parallel with the aesthetic concern for the feeling that the painting imparts.
I have attempted to minimize extraneous components that do not add to the graphic design, or address the color problems in the image. In my art I have attempted to identify a set of near minimums for image components, an iconic realism, that can still provide an engaging color experience, an abstracted, but dimensional, real world reference, and of course, an emotional response.
It is my hope that I have made observable my discoveries, and equally important, that I have provided an interesting abstract art experience for the viewer.
Note on the Artist’s Painting Process
I begin a work by examining design alternatives; alternatives for the graphic design (images and line), for the colors (both absolute and relative/contextual considerations), and, last but certainly not least, the emotional quality that the combined design elements impart. I have taken the approach that examining more design alternatives at the outset is a valuable way for me to arrive at the design that I will then produce on canvas. Alternatives exploration is aided by means of a digital painting program. The resulting digital paintings at this point are works of art in their own right. Working this way allows me to examine a large number of painting studies prior to committing to canvas.
When I have drawn the linear design on the canvas, I then begin mixing colors to reflect those in the digital painting. I often find myself making adjustments in saturation and value as I mix the paint and apply it to the canvas.
