Super Elf

Acrylic, oil pastel and pencil on cradled plywood

24 x 16 in

61 x 40.6 cm

This sweet but slightly askew owlish creature was painted in the late fall and seemed to come bearing coins or "pennies from heaven" and wearing a superhero cape. Just in time for the holidays. Superheroes in the zeitgeist, Halloween or Christmas?

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.