Sweet Pea Pairing

Sweet Pea Pairing

Oil Pastel, gesso, recycled wood

25 x 20 3/16 x 2 1/16"

All of the wood used for this painting was from the same pallet. I love the even gray patina of the weathered wood. Most of the time the recycled wood that I like to use is warped and that always poses a challenge, either in framing or in using it as the painting surface. This time it was an issue for both. I really wanted a rough, unfinished surface for the painting though. For me it emulates the feeling of gardening. The act of gardening for me is always a little disorganized and uncontrolled. When I start seeds I use random yogurt containers - usually of different sizes (since we don't always buy the same brand) as well as old containers and beat up six packs from the year before that I bought plants in. I try to gather my materials for trellises or walls from unused materials around our house and yard. Nothing is uniform in size or shape, but the seeds always sprout and grow into healthy plants. This painting feels like my garden. Not every board is uniform in size, the wood surfaces vary in roughness, there are old nail holes, but the painting of the seeds still dominates.