Many artists would say the creative process is rather unfathomable. We may know what it feels like to create, but it is a difficult thing to describe in words, or explain precisely what is taking place. All I know is that it can be a very gratifying experience, and I feel so fortunate when I create art.
For me, one of the most rewarding aspects of the creative process is that it allows for a constant state of discovery. Every painting begins as a mystery. I may have an idea for a composition, or the mood I am after, but I have no idea what the final result will look like. This is because I allow things to evolve as a painting comes to life. The image will begin to reveal itself to me and I respond to what I see taking place. In other words, I let the painting inform my subsequent actions as a painter. It’s an exciting process. It can be frustrating sometimes, but it can also lead to a pleasant surprises, such as when a painting turns out better than initially conceived. And I find this method of working often inspires ideas for yet more paintings.
Last year I began working on a painting of an immense structure resembling an oil refinery. My idea was to show a dense maze of scaffolding, holding tanks, overlapping pipes, and smokestacks. I wanted the overall composition to resemble a view into a deep canyon gorge that receded into the distance. I had no idea how this image would eventually look like, but I was intrigued to find out.
I started by blocking in my composition using a light wash of grey paint. I chose this color to give a cold, steely feeling to my painting.
I then began adding darker tones to define shapes and carve out space. I decided to introduce a series of walkways spanning the two sides of the canyon-like space. I thought this would help create a sense of scale to the scene. I continued to add more visual elements until things became satisfactorily dense. Even though I had painted the details rather loosely, I liked how from a distance everything felt very tight and intricately rendered. The structure sort of resembled the facade of a Gothic cathedral.
I call this painting A New Religion. My reason for this title comes from how so much of our economy for the past century revolves around our dependence on fossil fuels. It permeates our world. I view its influence and impact upon our society as being akin to a major religion. This would mean that oil refineries are the cathedrals of our age.
