Diverging Paths

In my last post I showed a batch of paintings that I started off with a simple 'pathway' design snaking across the canvas. The next thing I did to all four was to add 'negative' vertical brush strokes using latex (masking fluid), the olive green and brown in the two pictures above.

Here then are two finished pictures with differing results. The one directly above, 'Mercury', takes the 'Coast to Coast' walk idea a step further by including a figure-like shape. The idea was that it should stride along forcefully, but the effect is more of a running figure, so I went with that and added some flashes in silver, and 'go faster' lines. I like the white shape. It fits nicely in to the square. It's just as much a shape as it is a figure, and it works well with the green and red. The little orange dots make it look a giant. Carved chalk hillside figures come to mind.

The topmost picture, 'Fruit', went in a different direction. I started to think a little about paths through the landscape. We had been up to the Community Orchard, so I think that must have been on my mind as tree like shapes and ladders started to appear.