Emergence

Emergence

30" x 24"  acrylic on canvas  $400

This still life has been on and off my easel since last December. I knew I wanted the orchids to be the focal point, but wasn't sure about the rest of the composition. Ever the optimist, I hoped ideas would emerge along the way, and began to paint. The flowers, table top area and pears were the easy bits and I was pleased with the colour, skewed perspective and the way some edges faded into the background. After some time and much thought, I worked on the left half of the canvas and pushed the idea of emerging and fading orchid shapes. However the right half of the painting was still a problem and it was at that point I put the work aside. 

During the winter I started another still life  - with flowers and objects emerging and fading - and liked a lot of it, but again became bogged down, and put it aside.  Then I re-discovered a still life with tulips I did a few years ago, and decided I would experiment with 'edges and fading shapes' in it.  

On the weekend I set up all three partially finished paintings and I was struck by the similarities among them. Each informed the other and provided the impetus and direction I needed to continue.

Time has also helped and I continued with the idea of graphic orchid shapes in the right quadrant on this one. I am very pleased with the final painting and the way the imagery emerges and fades back, appears as ghost images, and as visual surprises, within a wonky space. I hope that the viewer is engaged by all of this and if nothing else, enjoys the decorative surface. Now the other two half-finished paintings are staring at me, so it's time to get back to work.