A Catalyst for New Realizations

A Catalyst for New Realizations

from series: Night Time Conversations

March 26, 2009

3' x 4'

Oil on Canvas
$900.00 CAN

This painting along with the first one in this series (Out for a Walk) will be in the 'Instructors Show' at the Allied Arts Council Gallery from March 30th till April 18th. There will be a reception on April 4th from 1pm-4pm. I must say that the photos do not do it justice. The paintings are larger in size and so they give off a completely different feeling to the viewer than this small image on your screen does. I was hoping that it would make people feel as if they were in on this scene. There is also a play with matte and glossy finishes that you can only really experience in person. I hope that people can make it out to the reception.

I must note that I teach privately in my own studio/classroom and through the Allied Arts Council.

Now a bit about this painting...

I really love the glass and the dabs of reflecting light. It creates sparkles that dot the surface of the painting. This is my favorite size of canvas to work with. It is about the size that would fit comfortably above any couch or sofa. I think about where my paintings might end up and maybe that is why I really relate to installation art. In school I loved doing projects that involved installation type art. I like to create paintings that will easily have a home. I often think "would this look good above my bed or couch?". That's usually how I gage if it is a 'good enough' painting, worthy to be in this world and the spaces that people live in. With this painting A Catalyst for New Realizations, I wanted to recreate those life events where I have gone out for a quick drink at night. Usually it is a last minute thing where someone you run into says "Hey do you have time to go for a drink?". Or a friend calls you up out of the blue, "I'm in town want to go for a bite?" And then you find yourself in the most indepth, life altering, new way of seeing things type of conversations that will stay with you forever.

I have a friend, or muse if you will, that I met at work and we have always stayed in touch. I find her and her life very fascinating. She is one of those friends that you can either see every day or three times a year and you just pick up where you left off. She is easy to talk to and she is always there to challenge my thoughts and she makes me grow intellectually and as a person. I must thank her for all that she does, which is usually just making time for me in her very busy life and I know that can be hard. It is easy to let friends slip away. This series of paintings are inspired by her, by our many late night discussions. She has posed for me too many times to count. She used to come to my studio in our university days and eat lunch with me, sometimes bringing wine or some goody she just whipped up the night before.

When my mother saw this painting she thought that the woman in this painting is this afore mentioned friend, but in my reference material it is not. It is strange that subconsciously I have painted this friend/muse in without even noticing it. While I was painting it I saw myself as being there, recreating those feelings where the light goes dim and nothing in the world matters but this conversation and these people. I love doing things in the dark, painting, going for walks, eating, talking, etc. It helps me to focus in on the things that really matter, the things that reflect the tiniest amounts of light and life.