Blank Canvas

I used to be terribly intimidated by a blank canvas and so, to get over this fear I began covering my canvases in colour and I felt so much better.  Initially I used a solid cover on the entire canvas, a terra cotta for landscapes and a vibrant green (like a green screen in movies and television) for interiors but now I just grab whatever grabs my attention and let go. 

I like to pour and drip and scribble and roll on colour, not really concerning myself with any outcome.  And then, once everything has dried, I do it again until I have basically covered my canvas to create an interesting base.  Then I add patterns - circles, triangles, dots and lines using brushes, container lids, and brayers - and once my canvas is full of beautiful colour, I begin to envision how I will use the arrangement of colour in my completed piece.  Much like mixed media work, but using pattern and colour instead.  This is where I decide whether my canvas will be vertical or horizontal and which image I am drawn to include with a drawing.  And then I add more colour and pattern again. 

These days the work has come even further by introducing mixed media in the form of metal leafing, lately it's been copper though I have used gold in the past.  And I've been incorporating drawing by using Liquitex paint pens and I'm really enjoying the outcome.  Let the rumpus begin!