Negative Space

I must admit I am hooked on negative space. That does not mean I am a negative person… I just prefer developing the shapes around what people usually look at; the shapes most people do not even know exist. I must also admit I have taken it to the extreme. My new series does not have the traditional “objects” one sees on any given day. Apart from the drawings of women (or men as some see them), there is not a whole lot of representational imagery. I choose the spaces to darken and lighten. Out of those choices organic forms appear. This is not as easy as it sounds. As I gaze upon the runs, drips and drops I see clear shapes between and these shapes are broken up even further by the texturing I have previously added to the surface. The texturing plays an important role in breaking up overly large areas such as the ‘sky’ or ‘water’. Instead of painting in the whole section with one monotonous colour (usually the undercoat) I fill in the textured areas only leaving the interplay of undercolours showing through… Negative spaces within negative spaces! Fun! There are some decisions to make however. If I included every negative shape instead of amalgamating some into a cohesive whole, chaos would reign to the point of overwhelm. If I do not include enough it would cause a case of underwhelm…. Balance, it is all about balance! Love it.