When I paint abstract canvases, the image I begin with is seldom the one I wind up with. The painting becomes a process that takes me from one place to another — and I don’t know the destination. I usually let the act of painting itself dictate my direction.
Sometimes I come to a crossroads and have to choose between taking one direction or another. If an image really isn’t working, I may even change the orientation of the canvas – turn it upside down or make the vertical axis the horizontal. As the process goes on, I keep responding to the marks and colors I’ve put on the canvas. I may react by adjusting them or by altering the overall composition, either slightly or drastically.
It often feels as though I go through many paintings on one canvas. Sometimes the newest image works nicely; sometimes I regret having lost the image that I had there before. I thought you might like to see what happens to a painting as it’s taking shape.
