Description
Using my process of first laying colors and shapes in a free expression, this painting quickly presented an abstract city and water scape memory. I was happy with the colorful abstract in 2023, varnished it and signed it. Then, in 2024, I looked at the painting with new eyes and new skills, and a strong urge to make the painting more than it was. I wanted more of the feeling to be present ~ less of an abstraction that could be interpreted loosely, and more of an abstraction that presented an experience, mood, and sensations.
This imagery reminded me of a story that my husband told me of working on the Hudson River/East River in New York. His team was collecting plankton at night for their scientific studies of the rivers and damns. Although I never experienced this place for myself, and I hadn’t seen photos, I could imagine the feeling of being hidden behind buildings, and hustle and bustle of city life, while also working with small boats, the big rivers, and local industry.
I was raised in Manchester, NH, a mill city on the Merrimack River, the largest city in my State. As much as I paint nature inspired themes, I was raised in a city ~ I have our New England mill towns in my childhood, and ancestry.
Using acrylic, soft pastels, #2pencil and other media, varnished in satin, and ready to hang.
