Friday, February 4, 2011

Distant Stone


Distant Stone
Acrylic on heavy rag paper, 22" x 30"
$1200 plus $20 shipping in U.S.

For check payment or other arrangements, email don@dailyartwest.com


I took a second look at the small painting that was going to post today and decided it was awful. I won't inflict it on you. Instead, here's another in the stone series, from a group of paintings on paper I'm currently working on.

I start these paintings by covering everything in the studio that I don't want speckled with paint. The sheets of 300 lb. Fabriano are laid on plastic on the floor and colors are thrown, dripped, glopped, scraped, brushed and splattered, as randomly as possible. Then I begin laying translucent glazes across the surfaces, modulating or obscuring one area, heightening another--trying to be tuned to anything exciting and unexpected. It's like taking a walk in the woods without a destination. I try to keep in mind my favorite Picasso saying: "I don't seek, I find".

12 comments:

SamArtDog said...

I think this is very exciting! Don't you? Goes to prove that there are still uncharted lands. Onward!

Anonymous said...

Fascinating description of your technique on this. The more I look at the painting, the more I see.
Anne Thrower

Anonymous said...

the wonderful thing about the 'not seeking but finding' painting is that it gives the same pleasure to the viewer. great to read the process, rather reminds me of my primary school blackboard;)

shirley fachilla said...

I have several abstract artist friends whose process is also one of "finding."
I "find" as a viewer the illusion of depth in this one really interesting. Your painting creates depth and then takes that illusion away.

Don Gray said...

Thanks, Sam. Yeah, I love this process of discovery.

Don Gray said...

Thank you, Anne.

Don Gray said...

I appreciate that, Rahina. Primary school's an apt analogy, since the process is really about playing with the paint.

Don Gray said...

Shirley, you nailed it exactly. The illusion of depth is created and subverted at the same time, which is really what interested me when I arrived at this point. Thanks for your close observation.

Justin Clayton said...

I really love your abstract explorations Don. It's interesting how you mention the word unexpected. I think there's so much fun in that word. I think most realists including myself can do with a good dose of the "unexpected" to mix things up a bit. Thanks for sharing the process!

Don Gray said...

Thanks, Justin. I do love the open-ended process of exploration when working this way. I see a strong sense of the abstract in your own painting, as well.

martha miller said...

this must feel like a nice switch from your other more linear/methodical way of working! so rich!

Don Gray said...

It's liberating and exciting to work this way, Martha--I love it.

Thanks...hope you're doing OK...hard to lose a Mom.