I set out to make four pictures that dealt with the elements of earth, air, fire and water. I love to start a new piece by building up the canvas in layers. For this particular piece, I used various types of distressed paper, gel medium and acrylic paint. It began the process of creating a dialogue with the piece.
I found the framed foreign stamps at a thrift store and started to experiment with their color and composition, considering how the stamps might work as the focal point. It's all about playing and seeing what happens next. I find the subtraction of elements while making this kind of art just as important as the addition. I build it up, and if it doesn't seem to work, I break it down again. I love the ocean but in all honesty I'm actually pretty frightened of it at the same time. I consider it to be a very healthy respect!
