"Volcano"

30x24x1.5", mixed media on canvas

One of the interesting things about creating a dialogue with a painting is that you don't know what will happen. I started working on this, and the half face is what came about. I don't know if I would have done a painting where half the face was out of the picture -- especially the eyes! -- if I hadn't been guided that way. And I certainly didn't have that in mind when I was putting down the texture or adding the random color marks. Whoda thunk?

"Akimbo"

36x36x1.5", mixed media on canvas

This was another one where I threw down the texture material, then created a tremendous mess, then decided what to paint. She was suggested by lines and edges in the painting, which is why it's kind of a dialogue. And I named her Akimbo because she's kind of all corners and knees and wrists.

"Remnants"

24x30x1.5", mixed media on canvas

This was one of those paintings where you need someone else to say "STOP! NOW!" I was in painting class and had followed my process of making a gorgeous mess gluing down bits of this and that, scribbling, pulling things off, making drippies. Doing whatever seemed like fun with the supplies of the moment. Then I went over the picture with my roller using an off-white, letting pieces of what was there show through. I wanted the richness that comes from layers and layers adding up.

I was about to keep working on it, then my teacher (Sefla Joseph) said "STOP!" And she was right. It has mystery, is interesting to look at, and looks simple until you get close. Thanks, Sefla.

An interesting feature of this painting is that the dark area in the upper right comes from paint on the BACK of the canvas. I had pulled something off the front, and it took some of the gesso with it, leaving raw canvas. I'd done this before, but this time I wanted to USE the effect. So I added a dark color.