Blog: The Creation of "Telling the Story"

I began this work during an open house. Collectors were visiting my studio and watching me paint. I began talking about the different tools I use and decided to put a piece of rope on the end of a stick. I dipped the rope into black paint and moved it around on a piece of paper. I loved the way the paint went onto the piece. It was glorious. 

Usually I don’t like the work I create during these events because I am interrupted so much as I work – but this one worked. Later I came in and cleaned up the black rope mark making. If you look closely at the work you can see where I poured white paint over some of the black lines, and while the black paint was still wet I added wet color and allowed it to flow. I then covered a lot of it up with more white paint. The trick was not to cover it all up. 

Once the black and white were finished, I added some color and finished by including my story telling icons. When it was done I thought – WOW what a piece. The wheels at the bottom are movement, getting the beginning of the story rolling, the middle part of the story is the ladder and the movement upwards and the end of the story is the galaxy in the heavens.  

“Telling the Story” is all about the yes, yes, yes in creativity. It just flowed and every time I look at the work I regret selling it. When you feel that way about a painting you know you have allowed yourself to be in the work.