A New, Resonant Painting Series: Finally Getting the Light to Shine
You may be interested in the technique, maybe not.
All I have to say either way is: this has made such an impact. People told me when I revealed First Light 3, the ruins, and when I was creating First Light 2 live at the Art Fair (don’t worry about the order, I started them at different rates than I finished them) that they get drawn in, and it looks magical and dreamy. That’s EXACTLY what I’ve been going for this whole time, and I finally got it to glow.
One of my main art philosophies - not the only one - is that we each literally see the world differently with our eyes and also with our hearts and minds. Different things jump out at us and make an impression. I think communicating our unique perspective through art (visual or otherwise) is one of the most intimate and meaningful things we can do.
I first developed this idea when my first grade art teacher explained how Impressionism wasn’t meant to be realistic - when she first explained style. That may sound cliché to go that far back, but this shaped who I ended up becoming. Thank you, Mrs. Head!
Now, if you’re interested in the technique that changed everything, here it is: scrubbing and scratching away paint. I loved talking about this to people who came up to watch at the Austin Ave Art Fair, when I had the opportunity to paint live. With each layer, wherever I want the light to glint, I take away and take away, by scrubbing or dabbing with a paper towel, or scratching away with a palette knife, depending on how soft or sharp I need the edges to be. Not only does this create layering for depth and rich texture, it lets the light bounce off the canvas underneath to create a backlit effect.
I learned this on Instagram from an artist who does macro paintings of knits, and I wish I could find the source to credit them!
It has been such an honor to have people react in a way that shows me they see the magic of nature that I see.
They can see the world - for a moment - from my perspective.
If you’d like to keep up with me more in the day-to-day and see behind-the-scenes, I’d love to hang out with you over on Instagram!
