land mark, line & Solstice

Mark-making and line are ideas fresh from heart and mind. Tentative to begin with, then gaining momentum as faith and curiosity intervene- everything begins with line. Years ago my mediums of choice were charcoal and soft pastel. I slowly veered away but drawing is making its way back into my artistic sensibility.

Solstice (voices of the air), June, oil/coldwax on canvas, 40x40in, 2013, available

This painting  commenced with an acrylic ink under-painting. I then worked over it with oil and a thin application of cold wax. I wanted the painting to set up fairly quickly so I could build the sky but also needed some impasto in order to go back in and cut down again with thin solvent. 





The bottom of the work was drawn with charcoal, and I applied solvent (lots!) to saturate and move the pigment around. This process was repeated several times, with thin wax/oil added to the final layers. I then drew/wrote with charcoal–all rendered while the painting was wet.

*Summer Solstice is a significant day of the year for me. It has been an annual  tradition  to respond, document and pay homage-and this June marks year ten!