My work, whether representational or abstract, evokes the rhythms and harmonies of music, like the natural world around us. Nature inspires me to reflect upon my deep love of music and transcend the two-dimensional surface. I am playing with distance, to see how far back I can push the image, using color to evoke mood and emotion. A feeling of loneliness and a sense of isolation flow naturally into the paintings reflecting our lives today as time frames shrink and connections falter.
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I start with a very simple composition and limited palette, and then I build layer upon layer producing contrast and ambiguity, as life itself does. Sometimes the results are subtle, and sometimes they are bold; but, I am always creating a place to listen to the melody and feel the composition.
*** In my studio, I often work from thumbnail watercolor sketches composed on location. Using the same subject matter in differing techniques and styles encourages the viewer to look more closely, take their time, and hear the music.
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Irises, Oil on Canvas, 30 x 40" Giclee available
Smith Studio and Fine Arts Gallery Solitary Landscapes of the Heart and Mind
