“Serial Image 1” acrylic on canvas, 18" x 24", 2021
This abstract painting has yellow, purple, green, black, white, and blue multicolors. My serial image paintings are based on loose, gestural sketches of the same stuffed toy elephant in different positions. I have painted and sketched this particular stuffed animal from life on many occasions so am familiar with its shapes and forms. I initially painted on each canvas sequentially, then worked on all three artworks at once as I pushed the images further into abstraction. I kept working to alter the forms, light, colour saturation, and depth of space in the paintings.
The fast-drying acrylic paint allowed me to build up thin layers and texture, and make adjustments more quickly than I would be able to with oils. Over multiple painting sessions I worked to create variety in the shapes, lines, planes and spatial depth. The bright and fun colours come from the overwhelming children’s toys that fill my home.