I’m often asked about my creative process. “How did you think of that?” and “How long did it take to paint?” are common questions. People often exclaim, “I’d love to be in your brain when you are painting!” There are days when, brush in hand, I’m in my studio a full eight hours. Those are the days the process takes over and I’m “in the flow.” Other days I may drop in and work for mere minutes—but creating is always a joyful experience. The hardest thing for me is deciding when a painting is finished and putting my brush down.
Shown here is a recently completed commissioned abstract of the City of Jerusalem for which I was given free creative rein by the client. Having never been to Israel, I searched online for a photograph of the city that appealed to me and found this excellent image by photographer Sander Crombach.* Next, I chose a 24” x 24” canvas size, prepared my palette, mixed colors to achieve the values I wanted, and got to work! If you look closely, you will find The Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine located on the Temple Mount, hidden in the upper left quadrant. This piece is heading to Texas soon!
I experience painting as a highly intuitive process. Sometimes I approach a blank canvas with a well-formed vision of what I want to express. Other times I begin without a clear path and let the painting take me where it will. From blank canvas to completed piece, each painting takes me on a unique journey.
* Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem by Sander Crombach via Unsplash.