The Primes series grew out of earlier work called Entanglements. Dense, black ink in crosshatched marks formed organic, abstract shapes, in the drawings. With the Primes, I started ordering groups of lines, instead of using overlapped marks to create focal interest, and began to experiment with color. Instead of markmaking to achieve a density for contrast with the brightness of the paper surface, these pieces use color for dynamic balance within the image. They can be interpreted as asemic, and many have a feel like a recording of a meditation. (read more …)
Counting with a tally clicker, I make groups of wavering black ink lines representing prime numbers, balancing them with geometric forms (circles, squares, rectangles) made with stippled ink and watercolor to form an image. Color in the images is limited to one or two choices. These works are formal, abstract, and reflect my fascination with balance in my art. They appear simple and direct at first, becoming more complex on subsequent examination.
Working within constraints presented by simple tools and materials is satisfying, relaxing, and challenging. The choices of paper and ink, in combination with selected pens and brushes seem endless. Each work develops in its own time/space, finding its balance in movements of a millimeter, a dot doubled in another, and a moment spent keeping disaster at bay.
