Part of the Process - The Collection
The process of painting the collection
The majority of my artwork is released in collections, where I express myself through creating a cohesive body of work.
As you have read in my previous blog posts, I take the time to consider what theme or concept I want my collection to be centered around, before I even begin painting. This could be a specific color palette, an emotion or feeling, or a particular subject matter. Having a clear theme or concept in mind helps guide me through my creative process and ensures that I end up with paintings that work well together as a collection.
Once all my planning, study creation, and canvas building and stretching is complete, I gather all of my supplies. I make sure to only have the paints, brushes, canvas, and other necessary tools, that I need for my collection. I remove all other items from my workspace. This allows me to have the room to think through my process without distraction.
I make sure to use high quality materials while creating my work. The brands of acrylic paints and mediums I use are Golden, Liquitex, and Lefranc & Bourgeois Flashe Vinyl Paint. These paints use high quality pigments and are lightfast rated. The higher the light fast rating, the better they retain their color. These paints also do well with the addition of a lot of water before breaking down. I will also add the appropriate proportions of high flow medium when working with certain surfaces.
Even though I have already completed a number of studies over the last few weeks, I will still continue to experiment with techniques to create interesting effects on the larger canvas. While creating these final pieces, I continue to try new things and be open to happy accidents that can occur during my process.
Generally, I find myself having to paint my pieces in batches, as I do not have a large studio space. I will tend to work on two pieces at a time. My process requires the canvas to lay flat on the floor or table, which takes up a lot of space.
One of the most important things I have learned over the course of my painting career, is to take breaks. It is important to take breaks throughout the painting process. Stepping away from my work gives me a fresh perspective and prevents me from becoming too attached to a particular section or piece. Sometimes, a piece will sit unfinished for several days, before I figure out what more is needed.
Once I am done with my collection, I make sure to display it in a way that highlights the cohesion between the pieces. Before listing the artwork for sale or while waiting for them to be sent off to a new home, I will hang them in my own home and live with them for a little while.
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