This exhibition visually documents heartaches, losses, spiritual explorations, and the elusive quest for clarity and belonging. Life circumstance changes who we are, and it’s a process to build who we will be going forward. I’ve used the pearl gemstone to inspire this body of work, since it represents endurance and the hope of beauty in adversity. I’ve chosen oil and acrylic paint because I find a relationship to emotional expression through layered applications, like the pearl. Pearls are produced in mollusk shells, often those of oysters. When a grain of sand, or a small parasite finds its way inside the shell, a protective substance called nacre is produced and layered over the irritant or intruder. Something painful or difficult initiates the process which eventually results in the birth of a pearl.
In some pieces I’ve used sponges to apply and remove thin, translucent veils of paint on canvas. Parts of the under layers can be seen, revealing and representing the many errors and corrections necessary for personal growth. In other pieces a minimalist approach references a longing for simplicity in a world of chaos. And to indicate the need for protection from irritants or intruders, I’ve used a palette knife or trowel to achieve an impasto application.
Painting from the heart is my attempt at capturing the intangible mysteries that both complicate and enrich our lives. The task is at least a challenge and at best a sense of wonder.
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