I finished this new painting, 18″ by 26″ on paper, a few days ago and have been regularly taking it in as it sits in my studio, waiting to be framed for my upcoming show, Traveler, at the Principle Gallery. I think I am calling this piece Time Traveler but it’s still up in the air as I ponder it for a few more days.
It’s one of a few pieces that will be in this show that are from the Strata series, which are similar to my Archaeology pieces but more focused on the patterns and colors of the underground layers and boulders rather than on artifacts. I like this mix of the straight representation of the Red Tree in the top half set against the organic and almost abstract forms of the lower half, giving it a striking visual contrast while still maintaining harmony.
I normally don’t like to dwell on technique here but this is also a little technically different from my typical work. I normally work in one of two ways–in a reductive manner, where the paint is applied very wet, in puddles, then removed leaving a transparent and luminous surface or in a more traditional additive manner in which paint is applied in layers building from dark to light. Usually one one process is used in a piece but the Strata series allows me to easily mix the methods which adds to the visual contrast between the upper and lowers segments.
As I continue to consider this piece, I thought I would play a song this Sunday morning that mentions time. I thought I would play Time Is On My Side which was a big hit for the Rolling Stones in 1964. I always assumed it was written by Jagger and Richards but it was actually a cover. The song was written my Jerry Ragavoy under the pseudonym Norman Meade. It was first recorded by jazz trombonist Kai Winding in 1963 with the only lyrics being Time is on my side sung by back-up singers Dionne Warwick and Cissy Houston. It’s an interesting version that I am including below but I really wanted to focus on the version from the Soul Queen of New Orleans, Irma Thomas, which was released around the same time as the Stones’ version. It has the added lyrics that most of us know and is just a dynamite performance.
Enjoy and have a great Sunday!
Redtree Times 
I’m just so taken with this new series. I’ve always loved the archaeology series, and this way of developing it is deeply appealing.
One thing I enjoy is the sense of movement. Looking at it, I feel as though those boulders are working their way to the surface, much as a splinter or thorn will eventually work its way out of the skin. Who knows what will happen when they finally break the surface?
You know, you’re right. We always think of the ground beneath us as being somehow static but it’s always in motion, even if it may not seem so at the moment. After all, the peaks of the Himalayas are comprised of basically sedimentary stone and contain many sea fossils. Whose to say that those boulders won’t someday emerge and rest at the bottom of a sea or at the top of a mountain?
On Sun, May 18, 2014 at 8:53 AM, Redtree Times wrote:
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Love this, I’m anxious to see red tree’s roots begin to interact with those boulders and strata beneath!