"Contrived or Convincing?"

($40.00....6" x 6".....mounted on a 1/8" depth clayboard panel)


"The dichotomy in design and life is that it is either contrived or convincing." As humans, we are drawn to that which is convincing. It is a design or life where you have a feeling that everything works and everything belongs. However, if there is artificiality and everything seems contrived, we lose interest. So the question remains...is it contrived or convincing?

If we compared creating artwork to practicing the piano, a lot more artwork would get done. Think about the times when you may have heard someone play the piano and the notes and rhythm did not come easily. They might be a beginner or not practiced, but it is painful to listen. However, a concert pianist who has spent hours practicing is very convincing and easy on the ears.

The same things make artwork contrived or convincing. I have observed that whether a piece of artwork is realistic or abstract, it needs to have interesting shapes, perhaps a few diagonals, soft and hard edges, creative division of space, complete integration of one layer into the next, etc....before it can be convincing.

After creating almost 450 postings, my desire has boiled down to one question...is it convincing? In this piece I began applying acrylic paint on dry, blank paper with a brayer. After covering the page, I threw alcohol on the paper and rolled it with a brayer until I achieved a random textured quality. White gesso was then applied with a credit card (a shaper tool is also effective) and parts of the first layer were left untouched. Alcohol and a stiff brush were then used to soften edges and reveal areas that needed to show through a bit. My attempt was to use techniques that would allow for the natural occurrence of random and interesting shapes. This is part of creating a piece that is convincing. It takes spontaneous techniques to create a spontaneous result. Just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.