Continuing with the 72" x 60" format, I wanted to let loose on the canvas. In the previous two paintings, I painted shapes that required careful application of the paint. I wanted to see if I could paint less refined shapes and apply the paint more loosely.
The subject developed as the painting grew through an intuitive process of laying down color. To me, the story tells of something hidden deep below the ocean’s surface. The red and yellow shapes could denote fire, which suggests a power over water, a force of emergence from deep below the surface. It reminds me of the iceberg metaphor, where what we see on the surface is so much less than what lies below the surface. What mystery is to be discovered there?
I used a serrated-edge trowel to drag through the paint, revealing stripes and ridges, which was new for me. The other effect I love in this painting was the use of watered-down acrylic paint for the light colors of white and lilac. The white used in this way hints at translucence, especially on the dark blue background. And the lilac squiggle brushstrokes left striped streaks, which I find intriguing.
This piece fits my other work in abstract expression and size. The size of the last two paintings was the same: 72 x 60 inches, a size I have discovered I love. It’s large enough to explore and discover using paint. And yet, the size is small enough that as a petite woman of 5 feet 4 inches, I can move around the studio. This size gives me challenges in that respect, so any larger than that and I don’t think I could handle it easily.
What is unique about this piece is the use of primary colors and the pure use of gestural strokes. The whole painting is full of movement. People tell me that my colors are bold and that they see a lot of movement in my paintings. So, this painting stays true to that description.
