Line of Inquiry: Home

It's been a very long time since I posted, but I wanted to share some of what I have been up to in my studio over the last six months.

Home 1: Self, 22"x30", acrylic on paper

In the past I have posted about the web imagery that has taken over my work, and I am still intrigued by it and with it. But it has changed and grown since I first began exploring it six years ago in my journal. I now consider them webs of connection, and the works of art are all about my connection to the people, places, and things around me. The web is a map of the invisible forces that bind everything together, and in my latest series, I have been using maps as a basis of my work. In Home 1 (above), I googled the addresses of 5 or 6 places that I have called home, and projected them onto the 22"x30" mixed media paper. I then traced the roads and highways with pencil to create the basis of the web, and then I used acrylic paint to create the web. In Home 2 (below), I did the same thing with my wife.

Home 2: Joanne, 22"x30", acrylic on paper

The next logical step was to combine the two home paintings creating a work that represents our marriage. I projected both paintings onto a new piece of paper and used purple acrylic paint. I used Golden High Flow Acrylic paint in Montana empty paint markers to apply the paint. This gave me much more control and finer detail. This resulted in a very dense web. I really like the organic, yet systematic feel of these paintings.

Home 3: Marriage, 22"x30", acrylic on paper

I next wanted to create work that had a sense on depth to it, so I began using parts of the three different pieces to create layers. By cropping sections of the original paintings, I came up with separate, individual sections that I then used for each layer. I did this for both Home 4 and Home 5. I really like the depth that this creates, and it allows me to play with endless possibilities.

Home 4, 11"x14", acrylic on paper

Home 5, 11"x14", acrylic on paper

In my latest paintings, I am once again projecting the images onto the canvas and tracing them to create richly layered pieces. I've changed up my color scheme, and I am really enjoying the pink/red/purple combo. I have switched exclusively to using the Montana markers as a means of applying the Golden High Flow Acrylic, and I find that it works extremely well on canvas.

Home 6, 12"x12", acrylic on canvas

I've done a lot of other web images using random lines and webs, but I feel using the maps really imbues this work with a deeper meaning. The fact that all of these paintings are linked together, makes it a such a cohesive body of work, and a strong line of inquiry.

I would love to do some commission pieces for people, as a way to visualize their connection to the places they have called home. If you're interested in setting up a commission, please contact me.