As we all moved from one crisis to another as a society (covid to Ukraine), this Winter I spent some time exploring form and value on smaller scale. (11x14 "

I want to share some of my pieces/ process as I think it will be interesting to revisit this years later.

I used started each piece no planing. I had no subject in mind. I started working on surfaces using Mixed media techniques, then discovering form and forming a design. Some of these pieces I started at Jackie Lakely's mixed media workshops at Oak Park art league. https://jackielakely.com/

In the first group of paintings below, you will see three mixed media paintings based on surrounding landscape of mindscape. Once the basic surface were ready I started looking for for forms and design in them. I used paper collage, paint, transfers to make repeatedly. I visited these pieces almost daily for an hour. I worked on multiple pieces at the same time, normally in a batch of 3. It usually took me a month to create one batch.

In pics below, you will find that I have developed two distinct design styles. In the first two pics have strong geometric shapes. These are my latest explorations and I had force learn drawing strong geometric lines on the almost completed work. The first one is loosely based on a draw bridge in Chicago's downtown. For reference I have copied the original picture. This technique is loosely based on my study of Matisse and Diebenkorn restrospective

The second piece with red wall is a memory drawing on a collage piece from a poem ' I remember I remember' it is lovely based on memories of colors of objects from my child hood home which no longer exists. Isn't it so powerful that as an Artist I can recreate my own world and I have full control over it.

Lastly, the two pieces are based on fall colors in Chicago. This represents my older style.

Moving on to the abstract figurative.

Below you will find some of the mixed media abstract figurative using life drawings over the winter.