As I work through a painting it can go through several stages before it finds its place. They take on a life of their own. From the first simple touches that ground the piece they can become complex as I work through finding the right space and feel. Rough and raw, smooth and silky, rhythm, energy, line and light. All of these things and more all jostle in varying accents to find their place. Looking and listening, recalling the original thoughts. Paint is removed and applied, over and over, picking up time and history along the way. Then the tipping point comes, intuition perhaps, and in my case often the need to simplify. Taking away the equivalent of unnecessary words in a script, areas are defined, contrasts are made and tones are set. Abstracting, creating what will be come close to being the final image.
“Yes, though I touch it. it is a dream”
Charlotte Bronte - Jane Eyre
