These heads are my attempt to push myself past the comfortable, familiar and safe. I am not trying to paint a “beautiful painting”
but a painting that has beauty in the design, exaggerations, textures, and the energy of paint. At some point in the
painting, I have to find an emotional connection, something not found in the subjects likeness something that may be undefinable but is
felt when it comes closer to touching my true nature.
These paintings are not to answer any question but to make you think, participate, to stretch your imagination
and to question. these are the paintings that happen along my journey to find my own voice, they are like small towns we stop
in for a short time and then continue on a our journey.
Here are a few of my contemporary figures, they are my attempts to search past the detail and likeness of the figure. I try to simplify more than add, I look for patterns or shapes to tie together to form a rhythm. I think that the single figure forces you to focus, not on a story, but more on the attitude, design and to search for an emotional connection. The subject is just the object that I use to express something in myself that exists beyond the detail and likeness
There is a liberation in free thought if you are not affected by criticism and judgement but trust that intuitive compass where true north is only determined by the direction you are facing.
My single figures are ambiguous, unadorned and simplified, not to confuse the viewer but to offer an opportunity to engage and participate. In later blogs I will talk more in-depth about technique, symbols, philosophy color and design etc
danmccaw
