I don't know if it happens to other artists but sometimes I go through periods where I think a lot about painting but just can't get myself to sit down and put brush to canvas. Of course, there have been ample excuses to explain my long absence: a house move in the summer. extraordinary work events (nothing bad!), overseas travel - need I say more?
As I have done in the last year or so, after every break from painting I restart with a big enough abstract to provide room for unfettered brushwork. Dreamworld is a culmination of the various techniques I have been using for my abstract work.
The canvas was prepped with a heavy coat of gesso. Nothing beats laying on thick creamy gesso with a large knife and pushing it around the canvas! Once this was dry I gave it a light sanding to knock down the highest areas then began to layer on primarily reds and blues with various sized brushes. The finished piece still shows that direction of brush strokes was either vertical or sideways because I wanted to reinforce the square shape of the canvas.
Layers of red and blue glazes were laid on until I had the basic structure of the painting. I then used iridescent copper paint to add highlights that were left untouched in some places and scrubbed hard into the canvas in other places. The corners of the canvas were darkened with mixtures of browns and blacks made from primary colors. This helped to define the focal point of the painting.
Dreamworld, Acrylic on canvas, 36"x36", NFS
