“Color Stories”

Oil and Mixed Media in a Color Narative

This year’s “Close Looking” Series expands on storytelling through the use of mediums, gestural influences, antique journals combined with textures from hand-made Japanese papers, exploring how oil color pairings can send vibrations of energy and share emotional stories.  

The painter Robert Rauchenberg said it best: “You begin with the possibilities of the material.”  Being an artist allows a certain exploration for me, based on years of education, years of exposure to the writings of and about artists before me, and years of painting on canvas and paper. I paint playfully with many mediums, beginning with oil and oil stick, pastel, carbon and India ink, using brushes and other tools that will hold and manipulate paint.  The addition of antique and hand-made materials allows further development and exploration.

To say I am inspired by nature and its nuances, colors, shapes, and essences, only starts my conversation.  Often, I use monoprint techniques, creating interesting shapes, marks, and color pathways, and further reveal and cover marks with mixed media elements like antique journals, hand-made Japanese papers, past French letters.  There are many choices made in exploring materials in my image-making process. 

My beginning marks are nature-inspired, all things garden, floral, landscape, greens and pinks in my Northern Colorado farm views. I stand back often to evaluate each mark made, intuitively moving towards what feels next that can convey feeling, complete an action, and begin my story-telling conversation.

“Warmer”, 36x36, Mixed Media and oIl on Panel, Sold