2020 Studio visit
June 2020
PLEASE COME IN. It’s a summer day and, even though we’re all still in quarantine, we can do a virtual studio visit.
Have a seat in my magic chair. I’ll show you work from the past few weeks, and explain my process to you.
PAINTING
This painting was made by dipping my arm and shoulder into a tray of liquid paint and then rubbing it down the side of the canvas. There is also a bit of brushwork involved.
“Movement Score (for body and brush) #65, acrylic on canvas, 60” x 100”
PAINT ON SKIN
After I’ve lived with the painting for a few days, I then paint on my body, stand in front of that painting, and take pictures - using a remote - with the camera on a tripod in front of me. This allows me to think more about the color and also play with the figurative aspects of the gestures.
#67_9680
For this painting, I ended up doing two shoots.
In the first one, I introduced a neutral color, a gray green..
#66_9437
In the second one, I softened the violets into pink.
#67_9698
PAINT ON PRINTS
I make prints of the photos, on cotton rag paper, at a scale that is big enough to have presence on the wall but not so big that they’re difficult to print. For now, I’ve settled on 23” x 16”. Then, too, I might paint on some of the prints.
#67_9686 - paint on print on cotton rag paper, 23” x 16”
Sometimes, I go back in for no reason I can think of. It just feels like there is something to clarify. In the one above, I wanted the painting ON the body to support more the spatial reading OF the body. So I pressed in on that area just behind the breast, so it would strengthen the curve around the ribcage, under the arm.
#58_8803, paint on print, 23” x 16”
Also, these are color studies. So it was interesting to try this new chrome green palette on a blue print that I made earlier this spring.
These days, one painting simply opens the next. It’s a great way to work.
All for now,
Katy
