"Can't See for the Trees"

36x36" acrylic, & oil pastel on canvas

This piece of work invites you to take a deeper look after absorbing the big picture. much like our forests, there is color, form & texture everywhere. there is so much to discover when you allow yourself time & childlike wonder in just being present. not only can you experience the visible & tangible beauty, you can hear and feel the vibration of Life (as in THE Life) communicating with life. it can become a connection that resonates in your soul.

I started this painting with an acrylic wash for an underpainting. i used yellow ochre and orange and lots of water to dilute and let it drip and dry. in many areas of the painting, you can still see the underpainting and the texture of the towels i used to blot away paint in spots. after that, i really just began painting in areas of color and trying to keep them contrasting and complimentary to a certain degree. what i didn't want to do was muddy the colors, but allow them to blend on the canvas alongside each other. i used my hands, fingers and a palette knife along with some brushes here and there. i enjoyed this process and i really didn't have a direction until my strokes began taking some form. that's when i began to designate the right hand side to "trees" and the left side to the feeling of communication inside of a forest. the left is more vibrant and alive, the right is still and a bit darker, as if you are in the thick of the trees. i left it alone for a while. weeks probably. then i decided to use my oil pastel sticks to bring home the idea of sound and connection and also to add more texture, color and what i consider "grit". the photos are what they are. to experience this piece, you have to be in front of it. the second photo is outside on my back deck which seems to give everything the right light.

The original painting sold.