Wednesday, May 5, 2021

New Directions

 I wander into the territory of representational painting every now and then, with the idea that maybe I can explore the abstract content I so love in the context of pictures. I SO love works that walk that line between purely abstract and representational. I'm fascinated by how little it can take to suggest a whole scene from what is otherwise just shapes, lines, colors, values, marks, and scribbles that consist of material applied to a surface.

Jane Lewis's life drawings, for example, are masterful scribbles evoking all the weight and presence of the figures they represent. I see the figure, but I see the charcoal or pastel, and the gesture just as much. Material, process, subject, all have equal importance in these.

Sherri Cassell's Landscapes, countless other landscape painters, Jylian Gustlyn's vessels, Wendy McWilliams' florals, Julie Hamilton's work: these are just a few examples of artists whose work, to me, speaks as eloquently of abstract content and material as it does of its subject. 

Here are a few examples of my latest foray into representational images. Consider these all in process. They are on 18"x24" Bristol.






Thank you for visiting!


21 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing these links! I also appreciate anyone exploring that boundary, and I'm enjoying playing across the continuum myself.

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  2. Your new work is beautiful and very exciting!

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  3. Jane, I get the change. I also admire the loose abstract style of object or place - its more relatable and grounding. I would enjoy it in a video too!

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  4. Bristol warps on me - every time. do you prime it or tape it down?

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    1. make sure there is no water in your paint,for the first coat. Or gesso it. Then make sure it dries flat. I tack mine to the wall, and make sure it's very dry before taking it down. Still, it's not the ideal paper.

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    2. Then what is the ideal paper?

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  5. If you gesso both sides, it doesn't warp.

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  6. Jane... they are wonderful! I understand the need to break away from your typical studio practice. Enjoy the journey!!

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  7. Hi Jane. These are great. Did you do them all at the same time as a series?

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    1. They are all recent, and I'm still working in this mode.

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  8. Hi Jane. I like this new work very much. :*)

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    1. Thanks, Peggy. It certainly is different, but fun.

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  9. Jane, Are the flowers painted with acrylic paint. I would like to try it with painted tissue or rice paper for the flowers.

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  10. jane, I love the one with the gold vase. Would you let me know if you decide to sell it? <3

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  11. love this work, Jane! I too am interested in that abstract/representationsl line. Semi-abstracted "reality,"

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  12. Thank you for sharing these! AND the links. I love the direction you are going with these!

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  13. I love these Jane. How did I miss this? It’s interesting to me to see how you approach flowers using the same style/attributes/colours as your nonrepresentational work. Go, Jane, go!

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    1. Thanks, Flora!! You are the flower painting QUEEN!

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