Plane travel is a privilege. Seat belt buckled, I start to relax and enjoy a break from pressures of life on the ground. Spending time in winter-weather Canada, dreams of warmer destinations sustain and sooth. Favorite views are of island formations, miles of beaches, desserts, jungles, lush plains, tropical waters—sun-kissed vistas. My imagination is infinite. It urges to turn up the volume, generate warmth, hope, possibility. This Tropical Topography series as example:

Process

I painted all works in layers and at intervals, choosing a different main color for each separate canvas. All applications of metal leaf were intentional. Every brush stroke counted. Diverse elements came together with a glint of magic. Sun kissed!
Always a colorist, but even more so after a trip to India. Cobalt blue, ruby red, amber yellow, emerald green, all pushed to have place and space, and I let them. Then came gold, silver, and bronze. Each needed to be there, separately and together.

For Topographies 1 and 2, I applied the gold and silver leaf first, then added color bases around them: one color per canvas (red, yellow, blue, green) for each size grouping,. Topographies 3 - 6, phase two of this collection, came in response to the successful completion of phase one, and my evolved. For this, I primed all canvases first, each with a different color base (red, yellow, blue, green). Of prime importance in the beginning here were the colors themselves: being able to see what worked with each.

For every Topography canvas came the build up, layer by layer. Shades, highlights, and contrasts emerged. As specific tones developed or stood out, I went with whatever pushed to appear and gave it room. Forms gradually developed. Then came the challenge: to honor and preserve the message and magic of spontaneous brush strokes Not to overwork was imperative: to set them off to advantage without tainting essence.

Tropical Topographies 1 + 2: Near and Far
(4 x (18 x 18 in) and 4 x (12 x 12 in) oil and metallic leaf on canvas, 2011)

Topographies between departure and arrival destinations intrigue. Wonder about the not yet visited, setting foot or sail there. Looking through small picture frame windows gives peace of mind and heart. Nature’s infinite beauty! Abundant land and sea formations mesmerize: clusters, separations, colors, contrasts. Dark, bright, shiny or matte, ever ready to empower. Dates, times, goals seem to matter less—also, traveling happy or sad. Distraction from business, pleasure, family, other. Treasuring and celebrating the moment!