Gouache

Framed

Artist Statement:

The language of abstraction is broad and for me, poetic. My paintings are metaphors for myself, for my inner thoughts, and connections both conscious and unconscious. The process involves discovery of layers of meaning. I use elements of the landscape to express my ideas about space and color. I favor ambiguous shapes that stay free of description. Ambiguity allows a broader context for meanings and associations. I invent pictorial cues that are suggested by the painting. For example, a flat shape that casts a shadow. My imagination is a key to unlock unseen relationships. I do draw from nature, but retreat as quickly as I can, to avoid getting sucked in. The element of color is my strong suit, my best hand. I tend to favor close color harmonies and nuanced pairings. Using gouache has been central in developing my voice, as a flat, mat partner to the transparency of watercolor. Using both mediums together allows great spatial dexterity; the watercolor suggesting atmosphere, and the mat gouache being insistently flat. I am drawn to the beauty of paper, the tactile surface, its limitless and deep white space, the expansive possibilities of it. Mature artists develop a voice that is uniquely their own. For me, the symbolic landscape, my choice of medium and form,  are my signature.