Why I made these paintings:
Last year I became enchanted with the mist and low clouds shrouding the forests and hillsides of Oregon. Dense, wet, nearly palpable, their atmospheric presence becomes an element of the landscape, seeming to anthropomorphize into a personality. Later, I discovered my feelings about the mist and clouds echoed a thought expressed by another Pacific Northwest painter, Morris Graves:
“The way the weather occurs here-you get into it like an old coat.”
With these paintings I attempted to communicate the sense of mystery and awe evoked by Oregon landscapes shrouded in mist, and the sense of warm hope I’m imbued with when the sun breaks through, illuminating what I previously could not see.
How I make these paintings
The paintings are made with mixed media, overlaid with resin, layer by layer, until the image is complete. Resin is finicky. It interacts with various media in indeterminate ways, creating variants within the surface of a painting. Atmospheric perspective is heightened, capturing depth and illumination beyond what I can achieve with oil paint. Some of the pieces are built-up 1/2 inch or more beyond the wood panel surface, creating free-formed edges that are sculptural in nature.
About my career as an artist
I am a multi-discipline artist with a focus on painting and writing. My paintings have been exhibited in galleries throughout the Pacific Northwest, and published nationally. Learn more about my art at JuliannaParadisiArt.com Follow me on Instagram @julparart I live in Portland, Oregon.
Gallery 114 is open on Sundays 1 pm – 5 pm without an appointment. Visits to the gallery are limited to two guests at a time to maintain social distancing, and masks are required inside the gallery. Overlaid: New Members Show runs September 3 through 27, 2020.
JParadisi (Retired) RN Blog 