Openings

Openings, 8"x11', 2009

I have mentioned before how I like the idea of multiple layers in my paintings. There are at least 3 layers in this painting. What I find interesting , is that the bluish circles, which could be perceived as holes, really don't reveal that much (the painting could be called Openings?). There is a whole lot more going on with the multi-colored central form, which looks human-like to me (my son thinks it looks like a dinosaur!). The circles only become transparent when they are on top of the central form. I have more thinking to do about this image!

Titles

For the last few years I have rarely titled my paintings. It seemed to me that if a title didn't pop into my mind while I was painting, then the painting should not be titled. If the absolute perfect title wouldn't come to me, then leave it alone--a title would not be authentic. I also thought that a title would limit how people would look at an image and I wanted people to come up with their own impressions.

Well, now I've decided to try titling my paintings more often. I am wondering: maybe I've been cutting myself off from too much verbal thinking and maybe I'm in a bit of a visual rut. (blogging is another way that I'm sticking my toes into the verbal dimension!)

I am trained and have worked as an art therapist. I've not been practicing for a few years, but recently I've been tapping into that part of myself. The psychological issue of "denial" comes to mind when looking at my art with a therapist's eye. Are there things I don't want to think about? If I start applying words to my art , what's going to happen--will I dig up stuff? Maybe it just feels safer to paint and leave it at that!

I'm not sure why, but right now I'm increasingly amenable to seeing what happens when I add some words to the images. I've now given titles to some of the art in my previous postings. I'm not sure they are the perfect titles, but maybe I'll learn something about myself and my art with them there.

Fun with Tape

Untitled, 2004, 9"x12"

Untitled, 2004, 9"x12"

Untitled, 2005

Untitled, 2008

There was a time when I just used masking tape to tape the watercolor paper to a flat surface before painting. At some point I decided to use it as a tool in my paintings. I was interested in masking out straight-edged sections . Initially, I simply thought this would add some interest to the paintings: I liked the contrast of the geometric structures and plant-like forms that I painted. As it turned out, I learned a lot through the process of applying tape to paintings in their early stages and then removing it later. For one thing, I noticed how the tape would preserve one layer while I was creating new ones. I actually started focusing in on the multiple transparent layers in my paintings and this really changed the way I painted.

For a while I became addicted to using tape in my paintings and would put it on and take it off at different stages. I'm sure I really became addicted because I loved the suspense of waiting to see how everything would look once I took off the tape. I enjoyed taping and re-taping and integrating unmasked areas with the rest of an image. Now I've decided it's necessary for me to find new and interesting things to do with my paintings every once and a while: it keeps me coming back and it helps my art to grow.