Mixed Media: Watercolor, charcoal, and pastels

I’m drawn to reflections--fascinated, perhaps, by how light bouncing off a surface reveals an image that is both familiar and alien. I’m interested in that moment of recognition when an individual shifts from a pre-reflective to self-conscious state and takes stock of their form. I am equally interested in the distortions reflected in the surface of pitted glass, a curved mirror, or meticulously varnished wood, as well as those perceived in the viewer's mind. When I observe a reflection, I often capture it with my camera, as was the case with this image--taken at a diner with a friend. Fast forward to the fall of ’24: I stumbled upon this image—a perfect subject for a process I was experimenting with that involved blending wet and dry media. I started the painting with an abstract layer of watercolor and formed the image on top with a blend or charcoal, watercolor, and pastels. As the image formed, I responded to and worked with the first layer of color, thus inviting surprise.