Maxwell Painting

My work heavily revolves around geometry, patterns and positive/negative space. I shy away from using colours, as colours tend to elicit very specific emotional responses. I like to leave as much up to the viewer as possible. A lot can be projected onto a b/w surface. I am mainly concerned with the shape and form of the work I am creating, hence the use of black and white. A black piece creates a void in the space it inhabits, it cuts its own form from its surroundings. My tools are very simple: rulers and/or compasses. The finished patterns are then painted in multiple layers with ink and take usually between 200-600+ hours to complete. Each piece of paper I sit down with becomes a finished piece. I love putting restrictions on myself and happily explore what comes of it. My paintings hover in a world between 2D and 3D; they are essentially 'sculptural' paintings. I also create work where the patterns are cut out with blades to create the image. Some of my pieces have also made the transition into sculptures and this is a direction I see my work going: sculptural paintings and 'painterly' sculptures. Everything I make is done by hand: hand-carved, hand-sewn, hand-drawn and I take great pride and pleasure in this fact. I simply love the process of 'making' and spend my waking hours doing just that.