About Donna HamI just love the creative process. Sometimes I take a while before I begin a painting. As ideas flood my mind, I get in tune with the blank canvas. The process is pretty much the same whether I'm painting a wild, highly textured abstract in acrylics or a more structured still life in oil. A blank canvas holds so many possibilities.
As I delve into the painting, if I am painting an abstract I feel the smooth canvas under my fingertips and then build texture with layers of gesso and paint. To me, the texture is the most exciting part of an abstract painting. When I begin to apply paint, I love the way the paint seeps into the crevices and creates new and interesting points of interest. I had someone ask me one time, "How do you know when an abstract painting is finished?" I thought to myself, "They just don't get it." The abstract painting in my humble opinion is never finished. As I view my own abstract paintings and those of others, I always find new meanings and new truths in the depths of the creation. I design my abstracts to evoke an emotional response in myself and in everyone who views my abstract paintings. I approach still life in a slightly, less free-flowing style. A still life has to be set up with static pieces; however, the creative process is much the same. When I am painting a still life, I reach deep within myself to capture the images and light, but create a stunning moment in time, captured in delicious, rich oil paint. There is silent yet exquisite poetry in the light falling on a single leaf, a subtle and yet stunning background, or the translucence of a single grape. I love painting. I have spent a lifetime studying the methods and styles of others and realize that I could spend many lifetimes and still find more to learn. What an incredible passion and journey...painting. Artist's Statement>> Artist's Biography>> Contact>> |