I often feel like I’m trying to get somewhere with my work. Whatever I have just created is not “it”. I tell myself that the next painting or series of paintings will be what I have been striving to produce. This can be a grueling experience in some ways. In others, it is what drives me to forge ahead.
Ironically, lately I have found myself experimenting with the opposite approach. I have been visiting past works. As I have scrolled through images of previous paintings, I am rediscovering their beauty, femininity and quirks. I have reflected on my love of flowers and the beauty of a simple chair surrounded by a fun pattern- two themes that have emerged time and time again over the years. This inspection has initiated a welcomed deceleration in the studio.
On the left is the painting from 2016 Chair with Red Wallpaper. On the right is the reimagined subject created recently (fall 2017) in marker and watercolor.
And so, surprisingly, a fresh body of work is emerging. Each new painting starts with simply looking at my older works, then sketching those images on watercolor paper with markers as my drawing tool. I allow myself to sketch the same works multiple times to satisfy color experimentation. After the initial drawings are complete, I go into the paper with watercolor to add softness, depth and an airiness. This has been my meditation. I have been drawing and painting, drawing and painting, drawing and painting. Repeat.
On the left is the painting from 2016 Flowers on Orange Table with Black and White. On the right is the reimagined subject created recently (fall 2017) in marker and watercolor.
Not only has this process given me the opportunity to reconnect with my older paintings, but it has also given me the space to contemplate those who have purchased my paintings in the past. The people, who with each purchase, have given me the fuel to continue making. I’ve been imagining those paintings hanging on walls in homes across the globe and quite possibly in special nooks.
On the left is the painting from 2014 White Anemone in Pink Urn. On the right is the reimagined subject created recently (fall 2017) in marker and watercolor.
This process has been a welcomed shift for me to look backwards at my body of work instead of disregarding what I've created in order to get somewhere else. These reimagined works on paper are about rebirth and reconnection- a diving back into the past to reflect then to resurface with something new.
I will be posting new reimagined works every Friday for the coming weeks, so check back when you can.