REVELATIONS VII: Ex-Static Painting

Residence: Los Angeles, CA At the end of the last Century, in the midst of my fourth decade, I discovered a means of accessing my purely creative well. Until that time, I had solely engaged my interpretive, design side, having had virtually no formal artistic training on my way to my MFA in Theatre Design, Scenery and Costumes. I discovered my painting technique in an exploration of the visual properties of art glass with the objective of engaging the flexibility and spontaneity of painting. The bonus was that my new process, working on the back side of a thin, clear panel, forced me to relinquish a generous amount of control. This twist allowed me to rely on my intuitive resources, injecting surprise into the process of creation. This delight in the process, along with the continuing discovery of the possibilities of my technique, drives me down many different creative avenues. Many of these subjects and styles have been barely exploredtime is limited, but I am thoroughly enjoying the exploration. My paintings are created using acrylic spray enamel on the obverse side of clear co-polyester panels--PETG. They are obverse paintings, rather than reverse paintings, in that they are not the product of a backward, formulaic process, but rather the result of a creative dialogue, action answered by a strategic, intuitive reaction, generated to be viewed through the clear surface. Working from behind is not the equivalent of working in reverse.Using water, static, objects (found or created), and other masks and influences, I determine shapes and textures, building the paintings, color layer by color layer, overlaying textures and hues. I also use sgrafitto and solvents to clear and repaint areas or to manipulate the laying-on of colors in acrylic and other media, including collage. Each painting is unique and unrepeatable, by virtue of the technique. After completion, these paintings have been annealed, giving the surface a fingerprint, a final mark of distinction. Some paintings are coated with polyurethane to harden and protect the surface.As with all pigmented fine art, these paintings should be sheltered from direct sunlight, impact, and excessive heat.Commissions are welcome without obligation to purchase.