Cascade 12.12.23, 2023

Acrylic ink on synthetic paper

14.75" x 11.5"

framed

I use water-soluble acrylic ink, brushes, squeegees and sponges on synthetic paper. Combined, they have possess an unpredictable nature that informs and shapes the direction of my work.I have an impulse to open with a broad upward strokes as high as it can be pulled. Where the feathery stroke ends becomes an arena with counterpoints filled with down rushes, traversing undulations of crisp sponged edges on a non-porous synthetic paper which reverts to the original white surface - a surface beset with unexpected and risky challenges.
This smooth surface can completely wipe away the ink in an instant and erase all history. Then I have to begin again without a ghost or trace of the original foundation. On its way to becoming something, the painting is always poised on an edge of failure. These works often take days to resolve. Sometimes just a small passage is all that remains after an entire day. Other times the entire painting will be lost. A small misstep may result in an enormous shift in direction. I constantly watch these paintings collapse with a shock of loss, yet trust I will find my way back. The process is often indeterminate and its' conclusion, more like a surrender.
This is where I find the painting's definitive beauty.

Courtesy of Dolby Chadwick Gallery