I have a long standing interest in texture in my work, and for years this has been mainly visual texture--intricate shifts and nuances in the compressed layers of oil mixed with cold wax medium, with a fairly smooth outer surface. About a year and a half ago I first added a bit of sand to my work, which interested me in a peripheral way. But I didn't sustain that focus for long--it was just one of a number of experimental techniques I was trying.
Lately though I have brought more focus to the idea of actual texture, and I've been experimenting with adding sand, powdered marble and powdered pigments to the paint and cold wax. I am enjoying the depth this brings to the work and the way these surfaces evoke rich textures such as rock and lichen that I'm attracted to in nature.
Beyond the sheer visual delight that I take in texture, I also find emotional appeal in rough and gritty surfaces. The opposite of slick, shiny, and fabricated, they feel "real" to me, full of life, with all of its pits, nooks and crannies.
The two paintings above are Lichen #1 and #2, 12" x 12" oil, cold wax and mixed media on panel. Copper, below, is 10"x8" done with the same materials on paper.
These are really gorgeous; even on a computer screen they draw in the viewer with that texture. I'd like to have my eyes just a couple inches from the canvas. The orange/rust one is my favorite.
ReplyDeleteCarol A., Luck
Rebecca--These pieces are wonderful! In spite of the matte surface and the co-mingling of sand and marble, they possess a quiet luminosity. It seems as if by exploring texture so deeply, you've turned a page...very exciting.
ReplyDeleteReally beautiful work Rebecca. Like Carol said, the textures are evident and appear tactile even in a photograph. Yummy.
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