"Windward, 2016" is 32x48", acrylic on layered 1/2" gaterboard. This piece is significant for me. I was recently in a design meeting with one of our interior designers and she flooded my brain with new trending concepts, the blending of art and architecture, the exploration of new materials and moving toward installation art or interactive works, particularly in a technology environment. It made me realize I've been in a creative rut. Yes, I believe there will always be a place for traditional painting and I will continue to push myself in that work. However, it's been a long time since I tried something totally and completely new and it's exciting.
I was working on this abstract, just a clean sweeping graphic image. Then it occurred to me I wanted to break out of the two-dimensional plane, if even just a little bit. I decided to add a layer of strips to the surface and run the image over them. The strips intentionally do not relate to the content; they are not tapered or curved. I wanted something different to integrate into the surface. The result is a stimulating sense of movement. I really like this approach and will continue finding ways to employ it, perhaps with varying materials or at a grand scale. I have about ten ideas cooking right now that involve pulling away from the flat surface and/or playing with nontraditional media and substrates.
I had a couple of different folks tell me this piece felt nautical to them so when I was looking for a title, I researched sailing terms. I quickly found the term, "windward," and when I read the definition, I knew it was perfect not only for the piece but for what I am experiencing right now as an artist: to move with the wind or in the direction the wind is blowing.
