Playing With Blocks

Playing With Blocks

24" x 30" - acrylic on canvas - $450

In the winter of 2018 I was taking a 'Master Class' in Sarasota Florida and was experimenting with de-constructing the landscape into shapes of colour (think Richard Diebenkorn).  I eventually painted the work below, hung it in my house and this winter it sold to friends. 

In April I started a landscape that was very loosely based on a photo reference and the following progress shots show how it developed into the final painting. 

I really liked the potential in the beginning........

but by this point I hated everything about it! What to do....????

with nothing to loose.....I decided to abstract it by breaking the composition down into large rectangular  shapes using a soft white pastel to draw the lines... .

..then I began to see the potential (again) and kept painting, re-defining those shapes through colour and gradation.

Of course the work grew tighter as I painted but I liked the shapes so much that I went with it.  Eventually I added the tiny pieces of collage paper, which are more visible in the the detail below. The idea was to suggest that these colour shapes are lifting up and off the canvas.  

Have to say that I love the finished painting and am really excited about exploring these ideas further.....hope you like it too!