JUST CALM DOWN Painting

I am a self taught artist exploring truth and beauty in this world and hopefully expressing it through my artwork. I never really know where a painting will end up..... It's always a bit of a mystery, and that is the fun and the challenge of it all. Sometimes I work from a reference or a memory, but more often lately I like to start a painting by playing with colour, line and texture. I try not to be too in control of what's happening, and just allow my intuitive urges to take over. At some point the painting shows me something, the hint of a place, an image, or just a mood. I get a feeling that I react to and that's when the painting starts to take shape. The rest of the journey is a dance between intuition and controlled response.   My process involves the use of brushes, palette knives, scraping, wiping and layering. I really get excited when a stroke or a gesture produces just the feeling I want to express, or when a colour pops through from a previous layer and the journey of the painting can be seen. It tells it's own story, and I become the viewer.   My hope is that I can express what is authentic, true and beautiful in the world I experience, whether it is internal or external, and in so doing create connection with you, the viewer. Being seen, connecting through ones art, that is the joy and privilege of being an artist.