New paintings from the fine art studio of Wendy Skog.
Painting in the abstract mode requires that the artist approach the canvas with a pure aesthetic concerned primarily with color, line, texture, and composition. In the artworks exhibited in my last show at Martin Batchelor Gallery in 2014, my customary painterly approach accentuated texture in several of the pieces and was counterbalanced by a simplified palette and softer color. One of the paintings was entitled Semper ad Meliora. The Latin phrase means 'always towards better things' and it is a good description of my exploratory style of art-making. I am constantly striving for better results.
This abstract painting is a good example of a painting that contains a minimal amount of line drawing superimposed on the color field. In a subsequent body of artwork, the weight of these two elements was reversed and drawing became the predominant element.
This artwork embodies the perilous departure into pure abstract drawing. Using oilstick and other drawing mediums I wanted to construct an entire painting with a varied line element so that in completion the drawing composed the painting. Quite an unforgiving process! The drawing seems to give the painting an electrified energy.
After creating 11 paintings focused on drawing on aluminum the challenge was to return to my paintings in the medium of acrylic on canvas and then to incorporate the drawing aspect in a more pronounced way. Throughout my painting career, the pendulum gently swings between nuanced styles so I am ready for the next adventure.