The Painting Process

A poet and a painter, I draw inspiration from the woodlands and water of my native West Michigan.

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Each painting manifests itself organically. Applying the paint colors directly to the canvas, I move and meld them around until the first layer is embedded into the fabric. As that first layer dries, I can usually understand and see how I would like to move forward with the rest of the piece.

 

When I use the brush, the thickness of the paint is what speaks to me. The way the colors fold together to become multi-dimensional is incredibly soothing and uplifting.

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With a palette knife the scraping and building up feels altogether different. I want layers of color to speak and shine through one another. The scene reveals itself as the surface is scraped away.

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Each painting is typically reworked multiple times until the movement and colors feel right. There is no quantifiable measure for it. I just know when it is complete, the same as a poem. There are some that are never finished, or that I am never happy with. Some are left alone in their half state, and some are quickly painted over ~ that old painting becoming something new, something greater.

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A painting is listed for sale when I feel it is complete, ready to be enjoyed by someone else in their home. My greatest hope is that the work you choose will move you the way I was moved me to create it. 

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Thank you for your support and the honor of bringing a piece of my art into your world.

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                                                                     ~ M L 2023