Abstracted Landscapes

Abstracted Landscapes explores a new way of looking at landscape.  It departs from my earliest, more representational style that builds iconic Fundy region scenes out of the compilation of numerous small brush strokes, creating intricate details of textures seen at close distances. This series takes a step forward, levels up, and uses simplified shapes and strategic colour combinations to construct (and deconstruct) forest forms, clarifying elements embedded more subtly in my other artworks. In this series, I test the ways in which I recognize natural places visually, blending landscape and abstract genres while manipulating traditional approaches to landscape painting. 

 

I have refined this process over the past three years: I take reference photographs on hikes along the wilderness trails I find most inspiring, create detailed maquettes in coloured pencil on paper that distil the environments depicted in these photographs, then translate these studies free-hand into a painted version on canvas.  The artistic exercise is challenging and its iterative nature provides ample opportunity for both skill development and self-directed learning. It provides a framework for further exploration of colour theory, compositional construction, and emotional and sensory communication.