Studio Notes

“Man, sometimes it takes you a long time to sound like yourself.”

~Miles Davis~

Dream River

Bringing it all together with a little history. . .

My painting journey began in college, and I usually worked in a painterly representational manner but was always interested in experimenting with process. After grad school I continued to paint, experiment, show and sell my work. While making art sometimes took a backseat to life’s challenges it was always there by working in media and forms of expression to fit my circumstances.

About ten years ago I began exploring painting abstractly, shifting my focus from the outward inspiration to the intuitive. In doing so I learned even more about myself as a painter by continuing to fuel my interest in experimenting with process and how process can express content in painting.

Alongside my studio practice I have always kept a sketchbook and enjoyed plein air watercolor sketching. About a year ago I had the thought that I wanted to bring those plein air sketches into my studio practice. I began using them as a visual response to place and brought them into the conversation that informs my painting, but in such a way that the painting doesn’t tell the whole story. I find the questions unanswered far more interesting.

With that in mind, here’s a little visual story about my recent painting, Dream River.

The painting, Dream River, is inspired by sketches done beside Brice’s Creek at Creekside Park here in New Bern.

To choose a composition to work from on canvas I isolate an area of the sketch that interests me for a larger work.

I begin with a toned canvas and block in the darkest shapes.

I alternate between working vertically and flat with drips, puddles and glazes and after a while it starts to look like something.

Not everything is controlled, that’s where the fun is.

I like the idea of allowing watery paint suggest all the nuances of water. 

My process may vary depending on the subject but most techniques stay the same from one painting to the next with an occasional bit of experimentation thrown in. 

I enjoy using a variety of marks and contrasting heavier brush marks with glazed and splattered surfaces as shown in this detail.

Dream River 

After a year I find that I am still excited about this approach to painting. It will probably evolve as I go along and I look forward to where it may lead. I do have a lot of sketches yet to mine from old sketchbooks in addition to those I continue to make to inspire future paintings. I don’t worry about limiting myself with having a particular style of work because I am interested in a painting practice where I can stay curious. I have learned that every period of exploration brings something new to my art and that nothing is ever wasted.

Dream River is available in the Coastal Carolina collection here on my website and there you can sign up for New Art Alerts to be notified when new paintings are available as I continue to add to this collection.

I hope you enjoyed this peek into my studio!

Until next time...

Thank you for reading!

Stay safe and well and creative!