Exploring potential

Processes and mediums

New art supplies are one of my favorite things. Art supplies for me may not be just a new paint color, they could include wire, rocks, rusted metal, specialty papers… The list goes on. Finding something new and unusual might inspire a whole new series of paintings.

My current(as of this writing) artist statement’s second line is: Exploring the potential of processes and mediums drives the painting forward. The art materials listed above fall under the “mediums” portion of the statement. The “processes” portion is a multiple-part definition. If the start of a painting begins with a question, the process is what gets me through the messy middle part.

The first part of what falls under “processes” would be the ways in which I’ve developed to build my paintings. From the very substrate, whether it’s wood, canvas, linen, or even a cardboard box, to the finishing touches I’ve developed processes to move the painting toward the finish. This includes building multiple layers over time. Applying and then removing paint. Language, text, and lines scored into the surface. These are time-tested ways that I build the layers of paintings. Things that I know will move the painting to a more complete stage.

The second part of “processes” is the rules I might apply to the painting. Something as simple as not using solvents, or that the painting must include specific elements. These constraints, instead of limiting a painting, help move it along by providing focus. Some of these arbitrary rules may be something I do with every painting(such as not using solvents). But other rules might be specific to a particular painting or series of paintings.

Process artists have a lot of interesting work, and while I’m not strictly a process artist, I’m very inspired by it. I don’t have a finished destination in mind when I start a painting, so these processes are what defines much of how my paintings will develop and what the end result will be.