B - Sides

The name of this series is taken from music, B-Side meaning the reverse side of a record usually of  lesser known songs. This series is a continuation of my first series “Prickles and Goo”. I wanted to continue this process of making compositions inspired by layering and manipulating aerial imagery, so I created B-Sides which is an open ended compilation of works that continue to use this process. While creating my “Water” series I discovered how to build layers to reflect what I had made in Photoshop. By using glazing liquids and brushing on additional layers of gel medium I get a beautifully reflective and luminous piece that is like the transparent layers I make in Photoshop. Keeping this series open ended allows me to continue this process of discovery within the medium, but also my process of composition making. By actively exercising both of these methods I hone my skills and get closer to that which I am trying to express.


Keep an eye on this series as it continues to grow.

If you are interested in purchasing any of these paintings check out my Where Y'art page.

Water

This series is an extension of “Prickles and Goo”. I picked up where I left off by aerially exploring the Northern Hemisphere on Google Earth and observing the frozen tundra. By focusing in on the texture of the terrain I noticed that grooves in the icy earth exhibit elaborate patterns. In Photoshop I began to layer these grooves to create movement reminiscent of water. Each layer, like in a stream, represents different channels of movement.

I adapted my process to paint the composition one layer at a time, building up a ground and making sure each layer flows in a direction. By taking the time to build up layers, I began to understand the nuance of recreating the effects I use in Photoshop. I spent a lot of time interpreting blend modes, transparency layers, and level adjustments, then rendering them into painted layers with the addition of gel and glazing mediums. I feel that acrylic lends itself well to this process because it is such an additive and textural medium. Like sediment gradually depositing in a bend of a river I applied color and accumulated texture with each mark.

When I was making these compositions in June 2015 I coincidentally discovered a natural process called supraglacial hydrology. This process is when “Supraglacial (surface) water on a glacier is formed by the ice melting during the summer. It flows off the glacier, incising a number of cracks similar to an ordinary river system.” By noticing the patterns within the terrain I discovered the process of ice transitioning to water. As the glacier runs off it creates streams depositing glacial sediments and reworking the glacial landforms. I find that this process illustrates a parallel idea of which I am pursuing within this series. The topography moves and reworks itself over and over again creating a unique moment, a static ripple of water. Together each unique layer in these paintings exhibit the feeling of water. Water is, itself, an emotionally evocative subject, especially of those who live all their lives near it and are affected by it. As I’m reflecting on this series, Southern Louisiana - a place I call home - has been flooded from excessive rain. With the rapid pace of coastal erosion and sea levels rising, there is no doubt water will play an increasingly significant role in our future. As the glaciers move change, melt, refreeze and melt again that water flows to us; we as a species have to adapt to this process.

Here is an informative illustration from National Geographic that shows the process:

I began documenting this series in a way as to understand how each layer affects the movement of the piece. By documenting the piece over time the viewer can see how each layer channels a type of movement and reflects a moment in the life of the piece. This was important to the process because each layer represents a moment in a glacial form, when layered together it becomes its own composition. I find that this documentation process accentuates the development and creates a living, breathing work.

Check out my documentation process here

If you are interested in purchasing any of these paintings check out my Where Y'art page.

 

 

Prickles and Goo

I created this series in 2014 and developed a process that has informed and evolved into what I’m currently working on today. I discovered Google Earth and wanted to create paintings that mimicked the terrain’s shapes and textures, but also used them as a language to compose new scapes. I made dozens of compositions in what ended up being an 8 piece series I called “Prickles and Goo”. I embarked on this journey with my good friend and fellow artist Connor McManus who also created paintings based on similar criteria. Here’s a look into my process:

I started by scanning aerial imagery for interesting shapes and dissecting, layering and manipulating them in Photoshop until a harmonious composition emerged. The process began with a reductive approach to layering with color and shape, but naturally evolved towards more textural, kaleidoscopic compositions. Here are a few examples of my early unused compositions:

Many factors play into creating a harmonious composition. Here is a look at a composition in different states over time. Not only do the shapes change, but many different color pallets are considered.

Amidst this exploration I wanted to understand how these extracted shapes can move and work together. So I reduced and layered the shapes into black and white compositions which I like to call hieroglyphs. Although I didn’t render these into painted pieces, they were essential in understanding the positive/negative interchange of space and creating a language in my pieces.

Once I could understand this language I started to add texture back into the compositions. By adding texture along with my mark making on the canvas I could breathe life into the compositions. Here are some more unused compositions created later on in the process:

I have learned a lot in this process and it has given me a structured, almost scientific approach to art-making. By making dozens of compositions, reworking and refining them over time I was able to understand the unity of forms found amongst the Earth's surface. 

Here are my painted pieces thus far in the series:

I have currently moved on to different inspirations, but this series is still open to rediscovery.

If you are interested in purchasing any of these pieces, visit my Where Y'art