"Santa Monica n°1"

Jpg

10MB

2824 × 2848

1/1

Original artwork Medium : Acrylic, ink, cotton rag mat, resin, newspaper, gold leaf on deep cradled wood panel

From the collection LAyered

If, like me, you’re fascinated by depth, the ocean is an inevitable subject. “Santa Monica nº1” was a commission for an old friend. She gave no other instruction than to capture the essence of Santa Monica. That kind of freedom can be terrifying to an artist.

I spent a day walking around, snapping reference shots of palm trees and outrageously expensive beachfront architecture, until I ended up on the Santa Monica Pier. It was one of those perfect sunsets: the sky split between warm and cool hues, bisected by a blindingly white orb dissolving into liquid gold as it plunged into the horizon. I had found the essence—the intensely powerful serenity of the ocean—and my creative terror subsided.

The scene provided me with a wonderful opportunity to play with my mixed media layering technique. This piece is composed of over a dozen physical layers, including wood, cotton rag mat, resin, sumi ink, acrylic paint, and collage. Here’s a link to some progress shots that provide further insight into the construction: https://www.toshee.org/santa-monica-no1 -Toshee