For the past year or so I have been studying the subject of Abstraction with meaning.  This has been a challenging and revealing period of time and yet very rewarding and it all takes time to put into practice.

What am I trying to say and how am I trying to say it?  At least the pathway to abstraction with meaning, is becoming more clear, and what I am learning is evolving through the discipline of practice.

What are my sources of Abstraction?

What interests me?

How do I feel about my own journey?

Questions that form  part of the amalgam of learning.

Currently I am working on a series of paintings based on the landscape of Rotorua, New Zealand and Australia.  I work intuitively to begin with, painting  on several wood panels at any given time. using oil paints and cold wax medium.  This allows me to see what is working so that I can expand and develop my ideas, eventually forming a visual dialogue.  I build several layers of paint, drawn marks, and either visual or physical texture. 

The emergence of previously hidden imagery and flashes of colour can be achieved by methods of either scraping back with various tools , or by using solvent reduction.  This is an exciting process, and I enjoy the aspect of allowing the interaction of spontaneity and control, to add energy to the painting.  I may use photos for colour reference or small sketches for composition, but generally I rely on memory and emotional responses drawn from the landscape I am referencing.