The Way Of Light

About The Art

My main passion is with watercolors, the kind that come in a tube. I don't have an affinity to any particular brand, but pay attention to whether or not the consistency is less oily, which really inhibits the expression through foam brushes. Brands are always changing, so I have to change from time to time to find what works. Creativity is an amazing process. I mostly use foam brushes, especially the 3" size, because they are very versatile in creating the kind of imagery that flows out of me. Some of the circles have been made with small kiwi shoe polish applicators. If you want a certain outcome, then you get creative to find what works best. I also use an assortment of watercolor brushes, latex paint brushes 2", and spatulas too.

I use plastic dinner plates to prepare the paint, where I squeeze out the amount of paint desired and then using an eye dropper to apply the right amount of water for the consistency that works best for foam brushes. I have to dip the tips of the foam brushes in water and then dampen them or else the watercolor gets too inconsistent for application. There's different levels of fluidity that create different effects as well. The spectrum of effects is in direct proportion to the amount of water one uses. Many people think my art is pastel and are quite surprised to find out otherwise. I like watercolor best because as a medium it dries quickly, allowing me a great deal of freedom to express what is coming out without having to wait for it to dry. I have worked with acrylics and find myself impatient waiting for them to dry sufficiently to continue painting. Each medium has its own characteristics and personality. A typical watercolor painting may take 2 - 4 hours to complete. There are times when days or months will elapse to complete a work or to finally get the finishing touches applied. Once in awhile I will have moments when something wishes to birth itself through me, of which I have a difficult time getting out. While working on two of my thesis artworks, I got so emotional that I had to stop and put it aside for awhile. Choosing colors is really easy to do for me, but I once had a time where I sat for over a half hour waiting for the intuitive nudge to start.

I enjoy working with oil pastels as well. I like using my fingers and even though I am left handed, find myself using both hands at times, which I find fascinating. I don't do this with any other of the mediums I use. There's something about getting one's fingers/hands involved with the medium. Oil pastels quenches some thirst and craving from within. At times it can be quite like being cooped up in a small confined space and needing to get out for some fresh air. Other times its like being possessed of some great need to touch something that only our soul knows about. I have felt this same feeling the few times I have worked with clay as well. I have no other words to describe this phenomenon. Perhaps it is the Divine working through us trying to touch creation itself, even though it may one be one person, one painting, one day of an one eternity.

I imagine being the Divine Oneness and never being able to know the completeness of wholeness, nor the wholeness of completeness. Imagine never being able to know who you are completely and you begin the timeless, endless journey of seeking...Mirror, mirror on the wall... I've been moved to write poetry on this theme:

Living Colors

Genesis