Sand as a medium is my experiment into the world of abstract art. Oil as a medium is often used in photorealism because its fluidity allows for perfection. Sand is an obstacle to perfection. Its coarseness alone forbids refinement. Because these paintings are composed by throwing sand on a canvas within a few short hours on a beach, the duration does not allow for fussiness. Add into the mix other structural elements like clay slip, strips of metal, paper or natural elements, and the work is forced to go beyond expectation. Grand movement – splashing, tossing, pouring, dripping – defies predictable outcomes and enforces forms in the abstract. The experiment rendered a continuum of complexity. Some paintings are basic with only sand and paint present. Others are complicated with a myriad of mixed media. Juxtaposing a representational approach (in oil) with the abstract element of poured and shifted sand (in acrylic) presents the opportunity to express two styles within one painting and create something new.
Powers of the Earth
mixed media on canvas
Cascadia
mixed media on canvas
The Realm
mixed media on canvas
Remnants...
mixed media on canvas
Free Fall
mixed media on canvas
The Philosopher
mixed media on canvas
Larkspur
mixed media on canvas
Neskowin
mixed media on canvas
Eagle Rock
mixed media on canvas
Rock Creek
mixed media on canvas
Colonizing
mixed media on canvas
Surfacing Anew
acrylic & sand on canvas
Navigating (landscape)
mixed media on canvas
Navigating (abstract)
mixed media on canvas
Releasing
mixed media on canvas
Contending
acrylic & sand on canvas
Emerging
mixed media on canvas
Descending
mixed media on canvas
Transforming
mixed media on canvas
Across America
mixed media on canvas
Warming...
mixed media on canvas
Home
mixed media on canvas
Drifting
mixed media on canvas
The Richness of Life
mixed media on canvas
Egret Escape
mixed media on canvas