Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Textures and Perspectives


The Tree of Life mural is progressing. As I work with the textures of paint on gold and gold on paint it feels appropriate to the theme. Life itself is layered and textured and full of roughness and sweetness and accidents. So I am enjoying a more painterly approach to this than is usual in my work. There are even some drips, though I always swore I wouldn't use that old painting trick. I might leave them.

Some of the drips were made by my son exuberantly painting his Halloween costume which was a Jackson Pollock painting, in my studio. I like the idea of including his work in this celebration of life. 


One of the most interesting things about working with gold leaf is how it changes both with the shifting light through the day and also with the angle it is viewed from. What better metaphor for life. Right? Sometimes it actually absorbs light and seems black. And at other times it reflects everything around it and emanates. My favourite moment each day comes when Huckleberry and I shut down the studio lights, one by one to go down to the house to make dinner. And the colors on the mural disappear. All that is left is the gold leaf reflecting light that I didn't even know was there. 


3 comments:

  1. I like looking at various interpretations of Tree of Life pictures and yours is one of the most unusual I've come across. It must be an amazing experience to stand before it and watch the shimmering gold leaf change the painting into different moods with different lights. I love how you've spoken of this as a metaphor for life.

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  2. Jean, Your work gets more beautiful all the time. I am totally in love with the ink works. I'll be beginning a project near Golden Gardens soon, so will be in town on a weekly basis. Maybe I'll finally stop by for tea....D>

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  3. I love that confident, expressive paint handling--a beautiful and meaningful mural, Jean.

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