Inspiration
My sketchbook was full of trees - twisted, knotted, and bare. If I saw an “ugly” tree, I was bound to sketch it. I was especially drawn to the negative spaces between the branches that overlapped. I decided that I would use those shapes as a springboard for my thesis project.
Concept
The idea was to highlight the negative space between tree branches. All of those little triangular shapes had endless possibilities. As I sketched different variations, the shapes took on a fractured appearance.
Materials
Between is a multi-media show. I used oil paint on most of the pieces. Some paintings utilize an acrylic underpainting. Many were painted on MDF board. One of the larger pieces was painted on a lightweight signage material. I also included collagraph prints in the show.
Tools
After the painting was complete, I destroyed part of the work by cutting away sections of the painting. My earliest tests were made with a laser engraver, but this method limited the size of my paintings. Partnering with a local business, I used a CNC router to cut the shapes for the largest painting. I used a hand-held router to carve away the “trees” on most of the MDF paintings. To carve thinner lines, I resorted to woodblock carving tools.
Story & Style
The narrative of the show follows a lost boy in the woods in his journey through brokenness and redemption. For this show, I aimed for expressionistic painting - opting for evoking emotion rather than depicting accuracy. The imagery is often unclear and dreamlike.
I am truly grateful to my professors, Perry Johnson, Rena Wood, and Jeremy Blair, for their guidance during this project.
Here is the final result.
