Linda Christensen

Time

“I begin this short essay with my artists’ statement from 1997 because it illustrates my focus on emotion instead of on subject matter starting early on. I approached the idea of writing about what I paint back then with dread and tried to bypass it by being as honest as possible about my process. I’d like to think that I paint anything I want because through paint I can express how I feel. I started training to be an artist in early childhood. I studied texture. I learned about composition. I played with color and observed the beauty of line. My methods were unconventional and invented by me. Many different things inspired me: Cheerios in milk, clouds, hands in food, dry dusty dirt, wet mud puddles, coloring books, fashion photos in the newspaper and my keen need to observe my surroundings. When asked what I wanted to be when I grew up I had no answer. I just wanted to watch, and to observe the world around me. I’ve worked for years on a response to that complicated question “what is the work about?” I’ve developed all kinds of stories that seem to make sense at the time, but I have to ask, “isn’t this the same question as ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?”’ I am drawn to the figure, and to capturing physical expression in all types of situations, but especially when we are on our own. The body carries emotion, and most people are unaware that they reveal something of themselves when observed in private moments. When I was young I realized that I could easily understand the unspoken just by watching. It felt like a strange and isolating gift – and sometimes a curse – and I often felt confused and acted out in anger when the words didn’t match what I saw. But I still recognize all kinds of emotion there, and whether what I see is true or not, I relish the vulnerability of the moment. Color is another important tool for me. It’s a self-taught endeavor and one that I explore daily. Color mixing is similar to building flavors in a soup. A soup with just salt is watery and uninteresting. As in cooking, I pay close attention from the first layers what each color feels like in terms of its value, whether it’s warm or cool, and how it fits the composition. I am looking for something that feels harmonious with my nervous system. I begin with abstract shapes, then ask, “Is this shape interesting? Does this color work next to that one? Is it too strong? Is it helpful to the overall composition?” The more complex the mix, the more likely it is to hold my attention, and allow me to linger. Those puddles of paint sitting on my six foot glass palette...

Lisa Golightly's initial focus was photography, the influence of which can be seen in her paintings. Her work revolves around memory and how snapshots shape, influence, change and even create memory. She works with acrylic and high gloss enamel, using found photos...

Lisa Golightly's initial focus was photography, the influence of which can be seen in her paintings. Her work revolves around memory and how snapshots shape, influence, change and even create memory. She works with acrylic and high gloss enamel, using found photos...

"I have always loved the patina of old toys, wagons, cars. I love the look of time and timelessness. A thing never becomes really beautiful until it is washed by use and attention. I...

"I have always loved the patina of old toys, wagons, cars. I love the look of time and timelessness. A thing never becomes really beautiful until it is washed by use and attention. I...

CHRIS GWALTNEY is a painter from Southern California. He paints in a lush style, combining areas of abstraction with loose figurative elements. He experiments with sensuous surface...

This complex, yet abstract artwork is a typical piece by Ilana Seati, exploring themes of the human condition, truth and fantasy. This bold composition on stretched canvas measures 1...

This complex, yet abstract artwork is a typical piece by Ilana Seati, exploring themes of the human condition, truth and fantasy. This bold composition on stretched canvas measures a...

This complex, yet abstract artwork is a typical piece by Ilana Seati, explories themes of the human condition, truth and fantasy. This bold composition on stretched canvas measures a...

Folklore Dance, acrylic on canvas. Malgosia Kiernozycka was born in Wroclaw, Poland. She graduated high school at the School of Fine Arts and received a scholarship from the Mini...

Deep See Water 2021. Malgosia Kiernozycka was born in Wroclaw, Poland. She graduated high school at the School of Fine Arts and received a scholar...

In his work, Tetteh condenses the internal sentiments and tensions of his characters and focuses them, using the eyes as the outlet for expression. In this way his subjects become independent bodies, bold and daring. By examining the psychological conditions we as humans are prone to experience, and then exhibiting them through physiological manifestations of that experience, Tetteh’s work is processual in nature, approaching each personality with care and consideration. His experiments are not only in content but in form, colour, and texture, manipulating paint through swift brush strokes and thick impasto. Theophilus Tetteh...