The Rules
One of the advantages of working on larger canvases is the opportunity to develop technique. I tend to be “rule” oriented in my work, so I will make utilize the same element over and over again throughout the piece. For example, a recent painting, “Verdure,” has an abstract botanical theme. When I was working on it, I would find myself thinking that certain types of leaves or blooms would only occur under certain conditions if it were a real plant. Those rules became a structure that organized my inventions over the 36” x 48” canvas.
The main project that I’m working on is another botanical theme.
I am in awe of plants and trees in particular. The last several works I have completed have been more decorative, which is very satisfying to my rule-bound mind. I came across a famous painting by Gustav Klimt, “The Park,” painted around 1909. Klimt is well known for his sensual images of women, such as “The Kiss” and “Adele Bloch-Bauer I” which was the subject of the film, “Woman in Gold”. He produced landscapes later in his career which were highly decorative, employing few techniques of perspective.
I was delighted to encounter “The Park” while beginning work on my current project. I feel a sense of camaraderie with Klimt’s highly detailed, decorative imagery.
