I have always enjoyed writing in my journal. Sometimes when I am not sure where to start with a blank canvas I ask myself, “What do you really want to do next? Collage, draw, doodle, journal, pray?” Usually one of those things invites me in and I simply begin.
Stage 1: I started by painting a journal/prayer, turning the canvas in all four directions. The words became more and more obscure as they became layered, forming an intriguing pattern.
Stage 2: Then I dripped paint from all four edges, forming a rough, colorful grid.
Stage 3: As I looked at the canvas and turned it in various directions, I was reminded of a photo I had taken recently while walking on the upper path by the C&O Canal near my home, and seeing the bright patterns of light sparkling off the water and bouncing off the trees and leaves, with the sky beyond. I added elements from the photo to the painting.
Stage 4: At this stage I knew I needed to balance the natural beauty of the scene with the patterned background, exaggerating the light and colors in some of the patterns.
Final Painting:
