Every day as I jogged or wandered along the shoreline, I noticed the constancy of tides, moon phases, and seasons and the changes they brought. I also noticed the rocks. At first, I thought it was odd (and a slight encumbrance to my jogs) how one day, a huge field of rocks would be uncovered by the outgoing tide; the next, the same area would be concealed by sand. At first I detachedly observed them as an entity; I slowly became aware of their individual colors and characteristics. No two were the same, although there were patterns that indicated the presence of a "mother rock" at one time in the distant past.
In the spring of 2000, I was still struggling with an artistic style to call my own, and in an attempt to tone down an out-of-control palette I had unsuccessfully used in several paintings, I forced myself to closely observe the colors in an accidental photograph I had taken of dry rocks. The rocks in the photo were all tinted to nearly white or gray; the task I set for myself was to paint all the color variations using complementary colors to create the subtle grays without the use of black. I was captivated by the process, as the rocks seemed to come alive under my brush and my personal vision of their colors. The next paintings in this series show heightened photorealism, but without the enslavement to the photographs: there is perfection in imperfection in that the rocks are never perfect. The only rules that need apply are those of light and composition.
Views of the beaches that I have roamed for inspiration.
|
|
|
Mattituck Beach
The North Shore of Long Island is rugged and rocky from the debris left behind by the last receding glacier.
Contact the Artist
Metamorphic Meditations Studio
Spring Hill, Florida
(631) 495-4268
Email: carolinekwas-at-hotmail-dot-com
Website: www.carolinekwas.com
Copyright 2006 Caroline Kwas