Less is more

"The Discovery" is getting framed soon, then will begin its journey to its new home! As always, special thanks to State of the Arts Gallery!
I love to watch human interaction, and felt so fortunate the day I was able to capture a shot of these two playing with a vibrant yellow fish that was found washed up on Lido Beach. One of the most exciting moments of making a sale is having the opportunity to speak with the buyer. I get to hear their story and found out what intrigues them about my paintings...it triggers a memory for them, or reminds them of someone or something they are familiar with. As a result, it also gives me ideas for the future and inspires me to make more paintings! 

 This piece is acrylic on canvas, but also has a bit of crackle paste included. It was something different that i tried and loved how it turned out. A valuable lesson (one of many) I learned from my professor in my undergraduate studies was the "power of suggestion." It meant that you didn't have to fulfill the need to describe every single detail in a work of art. A simple gestural mark holds just as much power to convey a convincing figure or object as a million marks made does. I have a passion for incorporating both specific and general forms into a painting. Here are some charcoal studies from about a year ago done on newsprint that are good examples of my approach to "less is more" (left) and the preliminary sketch (right) for "The Discovery" done in graphite.
And of course...Follow me on instagram @a_mcqueen91 ;) 
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"When looking back doesn't interest you anymore, you're doing something right." 

xoxo Alexa