Evocative Texture II

Colour, Tone and Texture play important roles in my art making processes. I want my Art to evoke a heartfelt response both within myself and the viewer. Using texture, tone and colour seem to work best for me to achieve that.

Choosing subjects that are personal, those that I love and wish to tell a story about goes a long way in evoking responses from others. So too, choosing subjects that have a lot of ‘textural quality’  to them.

The first painting,  “LAURA”,  is not a new work. Its actually one of my very early paintings. I still love it despite its little imperfections. The reason: the subject was one I loved.

 

Laura was a very special, one of a kind, great dog friend!  She went just about everywhere with me.  When we moved overseas she went too, of course. We had many bushwalking adventures while she was fit and healthy. In her later years, I took her for drives so she could see people, animals, birds, things. She loved it!

I digress.  You probably didn’t come to an art post to read about Laura, my dog friend…..so,  Back to the Painting –  The entire image is filled with texture. From the background to the foreground.

The evocative white stillness of the distance that she gazes out into, has a very slight tooth to the paper surface.

The fur’s softness around the edges creates a lovely ‘huggable’ feeling.  She wanted to be my little lapdog!    Her eyelashes and whisker textures provide more depth.

Even the sharp cut off edge of  the collar is another added dimension of texture.  With each layer of texture woven through the painting, the viewer becomes more engaged.  It becomes Texture on an entirely different plane.

This small painting with its warts and all, still has the power to move me many years later.

 

The second image selected for this post on texture,   “12  STONES  OF   THE  JORDAN”,  is a collage mixed media piece on Twinrocker Feather Deckle paper.   I chose  this paper, for its sculptural wave-like edges and its velvety surface finish.

 

The ‘stones’ are actually bits of beach glass collected from one of my favourite little beaches, Fairlight, NSW.

When living in Sydney I used to work in Seaforth. Often, before my classes, I’d zip over to the beach and just chill out. It was an idyllic quiet beach, perfect for morning meditation and a lovely quiet time.

The title,  “12 Stones of the Jordan”   calls to remembrance  this unique place that I had the wonderful opportunity to visit and get to know.

The ‘stone’ collection was collaged onto the Twinrocker paper using a smooth rhythmic, slightly undulating pattern. They were spaced asymmetrically apart to play up the textural aspect.  Again,  I wanted to evoke a sense of water, serenity, peacefulness.

The colour of the ‘stones’  also created a bit of the feeling of water and outdoors with greens and blues being dominant. They all had lovely unique shapes and textures. Their  sharpness had been worn smooth by the action of water, sand and time.

I no longer have Laura, nor do I get to visit my lovely Fairlight Beach – but I do have these paintings that I treasure.

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