Evolution Of An Artist Series

Who knew that my desire to learn more about mark making and abstraction would take me on another journey? From November 2019 to March 2020, I created 120 small cold wax studies on arches oil paper. The studies allowed me to grow quickly, and began to influence my style when painting figures and landscapes. I noticed that I was enjoying creating freely and channeling my authentic self. I was discovering my power of imagination and allowing my spirit to enter the expression.

I kept the studies tucked away for nine months, wondering what to do with them. What was my next step?  I knew that this journey and exploration needed to continue.  Even though the paintings are small, averaging 6” x 6”, they still lent themselves to a larger scale. I decided to select 12 studies to enlarge to 36” x 36”.  Going deeper allows me to explore the possibilities and create a series that not only brings me joy, but also creates a cohesive body of work.

The collection will have a common theme:

1. Using cold wax medium and mixed media
2. Substrate Arches oil paper
3. All squares
4. Abstraction
5. All the same size 36” x 36”
6. High chroma
7. Subconscious exploration

The painting above is the first of my new series called Tis-sa-ack.  In creating the larger piece, the water element became more apparent, something I didn’t notice in the smaller one.  My husband mentioned that it looked like Half Dome in Yosemite.  I also got the same feeling, even though I was not trying to make the painting literal in any way. The long blue shape to the left created the energy of a waterfall.  Thus, the name Tis-sa-ack (crying girl in Native American Paiute language), is the original name for Half Dome, which is the name of a mother from a native legend.

Creating a series allows the artist to evolve and grow. I found that the process allows me to reveal my subconscious emotions in a visual way. As I explore the series, more ideas will come up and allow me to push the series and my ability to a higher level.

 I would love to hear of your experiences in creating a series.