From the fresh, luminous greens of Hosmer Lake to the abstracted flash of kokanee in the headwaters of the Metolius River, water is the inspiration for my new series premiering at the August show at Tumalo Art Co. Teaming-up with Nancy Becker—whose swirling colors and flowing, sensuous designs in hand-blown glass are stunning—the show will be an island of cool serenity this summer.
I have been thinking of these paintings as visual haiku. After cropping a group of photos very closely to design with them as headers for a website, I found I loved the way they seemed to capture the essence of the places, but couldn’t figure out how to paint them. In the middle of winter, feeling very uninspired, I looked at the photos again and the idea suddenly jelled.
Many of the pieces for this show are painted on cradled birch board. I began experimenting with this new substrate to see if I could use the warmth and pattern of the wood to enhance the depth of the painting and add extra dimension. Working on the wood created some interesting challenges and joys and I expect to continue using it.
Every painting seems to have it’s moment….the moment when I’m not sure I can make the image come alive and be what I’ve envisioned. The only answer is to keep at it, to keep listening to the intuitive voice that informs the hand and makes it happen. This is the “work” of painting and can truly be exhausting. But it is also what makes it fulfilling.
To see all of the paintings in the exhibit check out my Susan Luckey Higdon fine art website. Contact me if you are interested in receiving a pdf catalog of the show.