Vessel, Measurement, Action, Metaphor
My series entitled Vessel, Measurement, Action, Metaphor will be on show at the South Cowichan Library in Mill Bay for the month of June, 2025. The series consists of eight paintings that feature cups and vessels. I became rather enamoured with the concept of cups a while back. I love the fact that the humble word cup can represent so many things: This is my favourite cup to drink my morning coffee from (See? It has a chicken on it.) The recipe calls for a cup of pomegranate seeds. (That's a lot!) He cupped her face lovingly in his hands. Dancing every day fills my cup.
All eight of the paintings share a common history. About a decade ago I went through a challenging patch and funneled my feelings into a series I called Rage Paintings. (I wanted to teach a class on the technique at that time, but when polled my students thought it might be outside of my wheelhouse as I am not a therapist.) For me, the series was extremely therapeutic to paint. I never showed any of them, nor put them up for sale, and now they are but a memory and quite decent foundational underpaintings for this series, which is far brighter and more filled with optimism than they were. They served their purpose though, and some of their original versions peek out of each new work in fresh ways, and often with new meanings, which pleases me very much.
Also, I wouldn't be me (and that would be no fun) if I did not mention the fact that each painting I create has song lyrics or poetry that influenced it. It has ever been thus. For me, music and art are entwined.
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