Imagination is experienced in magical moments when the impossible becomes possible. It is a place where the rules of reality have no impact. Freeing ourselves, letting go of that which confines us, allows us to create from a space that is individual and unique, where art becomes an expression of the soul. My quest as an artist is to create without inhibition, from the world of my imagination. Touch Drawing has lit the path to that surprising and inspiring world.
Over the last three years, I have been using a process called Touch Drawing as the foundation for the creation of my paintings and collage work. It is a very simple process. A smooth board is covered with a layer of oil paint, and then a sheet of tissue paper is placed over the paint. Wherever the paper is touched, an imprint is made on the backside. In one drawing session, I may do 20 to 30 drawings.
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I often use meditation and music as inspiration during this process. Rhythmic sounds, such as drumming or chanting provide the pulse as I work. I begin to move my fingers over the paper without an intention of form or figure. Images emerge from the lines drawn, sometimes almost leaping out. To me, they represent inner sub-conscious workings, messages form my soul. I review each drawing afterward, taking in the message and absorbing it into my conscious mind. Now I begin to see more detail, forms that I may have not seen earlier.
After the drawings have dried, I mount them on watercolor paper or canvas. The wrinkles in the tissue paper add texture. I then begin to add watercolor and pastels, to bring to life the images I have discovered. As I work, it is an intuitive force that leads me. The process is very satisfying, healing, very freeing, and I am always amazed at what appears from the world of my imagination.
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