As of late I have been having a wonderful time in my studio creating patterns. Using watercolour, acrylic or ink on paper, these patterns have been far from perfect in their repetitions and accuracy but I have been trying to radiate a certain vibe or rhythm to the paintings. As I work, I consider the frequent themes in those ideas surrounding the fragment such as connection, juxtaposition, absence, transformation, fetish to name a few. I am hoping that some of those tropes filter through into the patterns that I make, be it unconsciously.
These are still works in progress as I will be collaging within them using images of people and perhaps wildlife as well a little later. I can’t promise I won’t get side-tracked into making more patterns as I find it incredibly absorbing and I find there is something rather interesting about that in itself. It is very meditative and satisfying creating colourful and repetitive dots, dashes, shapes and swirls with the occasional random brushstroke thrown in.
It is interesting to see how some pieces work better than others; they might have more movement, vibrate or somehow sit better than other pieces and it leads me to contemplate and interrogate as to what it is that is making this happen. It could be a clarity of shape against another shape or the effect and transparency of layering or simply the contrast of certain colours against another. Let’s see how I get on with the collaging within these works now and what they may add to the fray.
