Abstract Paintings
My first "abstract" pieces were done en plein air in the beautiful garden space behind my house in Fernwood, Victoria BC. I wanted to explore a looser, wilder, more playful and far less controlled way of painting, and felt called to paint outside with Sky, Sunshine, Rain, Wind and Sounds. I found myself not only painting in these elements, but with them - for example, watching how Rain wanted to play with the paint I put down (drips, blendings, softenings, intermixings). Each piece was a different process. Throwing out as many of my own rules and regular practices as I could, I delved into the painting itself - the feel of the materials and their interactions, the delicious catharsis of throwing paint, the fun and flow of dancing around applying materials with odd implements, and the exhilarating anxiety of letting go of trying to make something look like anything else. Materials include acrylic paint, rain, Peruvian pigments, gold leaf, cherry blossom petals, tremclad and spraypaint, british columbia beach glass sand and pebbles, twine, paper, peat moss, Uruguayan yerba mate, snail shells, mirror tiles, duct tape, dollar store nailpolish, amazonian jungle seeds, quinoa grains, sparkles, beads, leaves, knife cuts, b.c. spanish moss, flower petals, love wind and wildness.