What’s in a Painting?

I’m too busy making new pieces to linger long on the ones I’ve finished. So it was nice to hear reactions to the pieces in my July solo show at Forever Florida.

I was struck by how different people saw different things in the same painting, often things I myself had not thought of.

Do pieces have to “mean” what I dictate?

No. Not at all.

Ideally, everyone has their own unique experience with art. When I wrote music, I thought I was the architect and the musicians playing the piece were the builders. They put their own creativity and interpretation into my design. But ultimately it was the audience that listened with their own context and completed the project. With live performance of any sort of art, such as music or dance or theater, each performance is unique.

It’s the same with visual art, in that the presentation and the context in which any one viewer sees the piece is also unique. For this show, I was the architect and the builder of each piece. But the pieces spoke differently in a different environment, one created by the curator, the artist Wasil, working with me. And each person saw the pieces in their own way, informed by previous works, their taste, their emotional state, and how the pieces spoke to them in the moment.

In general, pieces of art look a lot better outside the studio in a different context. And they relate to each other differently.

That was the case with these paintings.

I was happy with the show, and grateful for the friends, artists, art lovers and collectors who came by. The closing event, featuring poetry by Nate Truly and great discussion with Nate, Wasil, guest resident artist Mark Williams and the audience, turned into an intimate and emotional conversation.

I’m making a body of work I am proud of, and I hope it speaks to you. This month I want to share four new pieces.

Fireworks in the Rain

Here the colors are deliberately muted, solid lines are running and melting, and the background lines and lights are obscured. I literally painted the final lines in the rain, to see the effect, and I think it’s pretty cool.

I finished it just as the Fourth of July rolled around, which seems appropriate although without conscious intent. Funny how that happens.

Philosopher’s Stone

Medieval alchemists sought the Philosopher’s Stone, a magical gem that could transform base metals such as lead into such precious metals as gold or silver.

I created the geometric faceting with a random accumulation of shapes, building out from the offset heart of the piece.

The Philosopher’s Stone of alchemy refers not only to material but to spiritual development and transformation. That’s my intent here, to portray transformation and the inner energy driving spiritual growth and change. And, I think it’s pretty.

It glows.

Hypnotic

This piece also glows, a characteristic of many of my recent pieces. Thin black lines orient the eye and pull it toward their center. But then other patterns emerge: squares, circles, ripples of color, all of which create the cotton candy confection that is another evolution in my use of spray acrylic.

Creek’s Edge

I created this piece is for the inaugural Booker Creek Arts Festival, taking place in November. Local art legend Chad Mize is curating the event, Go With the Flow, which will feature 51 16”x16” wood panels.

Suggested themes were “going with the flow, down by the creek bank, nature, or a free flow world.” The piece will be on sale at the festival in November.

Enjoy the last of summer! See you next month.