Atmosphere Series

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Atmosphere Series Statement

Pigments – those dry, insoluble powders that are the building blocks of artist’s mediums – create color by absorbing and reflecting certain wavelengths of light. To do this, the world of pigments is filled with individuality – organic versus inorganic, opaque versus transparent, gritty versus smooth, small versus large, natural versus man-made, undertone versus masstone, etc. These variations and the shifts in color they create are fascinating and innumerable.

In 2020, a substantial shift in scheduling gave me the opportunity to examine in detail pigment characteristics. Having the time and space – physical and mental – to work on this research project was like an artist residency …only this time set in familiar surroundings.

Confronted, though, with the constant barrage of painful news in the media headlines it was difficult to concentrate in the studio. I found that I needed to adapt my daily schedule. I reduced my news intake and then I began spending each daybreak outside.

Morning after morning I cared for the garden and watched the gradual change of colors across the sky. These actions became a type of meditation, clearing my mind and allowing me to focus on one thing at a time in the studio and in life. Each evening I’d return to the garden, watching the plants mature, watching the world move at its normal pace, watching the sun color the sky each night as it slipped beyond the tree line, and feeling heartened and inspired. I was witnessing change - of the sky and of life.

And so those early and late moments each day began feeding ideas in the studio and meshing with the methodical testing and charting of pigment interactions. In my periphery the world was spinning fast in the headlines, but I was finding the quiet stillness to work. And out of this time grew a series investigating the intersection of subtle nuances in color, luminosity, and the pattern of atmospheric light.

...hand carved, hand painted, hand formed...