Recent Paintings, 2009

So this is happening at the end of a decade. A decade full of disappointment, recession, and decreasing hope. In an attempt to combat the inevitable, I find myself thinking and creating. Though such deep thought might be my curse, I have this need to create.

This is my first real attempt at abstraction. As I delve deeper into this painting style, I'm realizing that it is the most difficult type of painting. I feel like painting realistic is almost a cop-out for me, while abstract painting is just more challenging and ultimately more gratifying. This is partially because I'm beginning to realize no matter what the subject of the painting is, that there is no solid point to which an artist knows that the painting is 'finished'.

I created this layering effect by painting over a previous less successful painting. The areas that I taped off and painted over are still somewhat visible. The original painting was a study of a sunset I had observed over a year ago, and I still believe it has a feeling of light similar to that of a sunset.

Abstraction interests me because I feel like there are different levels of abstraction. Since art is so subjective, it is hard to determine those levels, and the lines are then blurred in-between. I could create a painting that has a solid subject, but is so skewed through different techniques that the viewer perceives the painting as abstract.

So, this is the beginning.