“Penny’s Tree” 36″ x 60″ oil and metal leaf on canvas
People throughout the ages have put labels on art movements and techniques and most of them seem fitting. Some of the artists were not always pleased with their labels, but became famous for them anyway. As an artist, I sometimes find it hard to be defined by other peoples’ perceptions of my work, so have chosen my own label for my new technique of oil and metal leaf on canvas – “shimmering impressionism”
In the past, my paintings have had several different labels applied as art gallery owners have tried to put me in some kind of category. Just a few have been “abstractionist”, “realist”, “impressionist”, “pointillist” and “fauvist”. “Fauvist” surprised me even more than “realist”, but when I objected, the lady asked “Where in the real world do you see purple and blue trees?”
I can understand some of the difficulty labeling me since I have chosen to change mediums and techniques every few years. Before the metal leaf paintings there were mixed media wood carvings, etchings, acrylics, watercolors on both paper and canvas and oils. Subjects were landscapes, seascapes, gardens, still lifes, trees and koi to name a few.
My new work definitely fits into the category of “impressionism” defined as “depicting the visual impression of the moment, especially in terms of the effect of light and color”. The shimmering quality of the metal leaf adds another dimension since the colors shift as you move past the painting. The image above is a studio shot since I still have to seal and coat the painting before taking it outside to be photographed.
