And Then My Head Exploded

Acrylic, oil pastel and pencil on cradled plywood

24 x 16 in

61 x 40.6 cm

I painted this – using my hands – during an opening reception for an art show at Catherine Bede Gallery in Hillsboro, Oregon. The gallery at the time was postage stamp small, so I set up in the hallway with my trademark folding chair, polka dot floor cloth, and upended vintage kitchen drawer as side table. So many friendly if bemused people stopped to chat ... "Painting with your hands!?!" Fun but a bit nerve-wracking since I normally paint in silence, alone. The mood and energy of “the room” permeated the piece.

The ongoing Super Ply series consists of black and white paintings on bare plywood. I begin with a random hand doodled abstract monotype on the bare wood, then paint with 2 small brushes and my hands. I add details with oil pastels and pencil. I usually work in silence alone in my studio, but some of these have been created live at art events and reflect the mood I sensed in the room. As a process painter, I allow each painting to develop organically so the character and context are not planned at all. Any text fragments - and the title - become clear at the end when the piece resolves itself.