Laura O'Brien
Painting makes me happy. I hope to convey that to the viewer. My goal is to pass on a little joy and humor through my art.
In the past, I would spend a great deal of time thinking "what will I paint today?". To eliminate that distraction, I took the subject out of the starting process. While staying within my initial value composition, I go nuts with color, lines and mark-making. After creating history by applying layers of paint, my imagination takes over and little stories begin to appear. I keep what I like and paint over the rest, continuing this pattern until it feels done.
My most successful paintings are those with a strong composition. Although color, temperature and shapes are important, it can be over-whelming to think of all these things when staring at a white canvas. I start a painting with strong value contrasts. I use value differences as a guide. Dark into dark, Light into light. This process helps me work through the painting easier. For me it's like putting the edge pieces of a puzzle together first. When I think in this way, simplifying the beginning stage, my painting process becomes less chaotic. Value pattern first, abstractly rendered.
My paintings are my diary, I've always loved architecture, the Pacific Northwest and walking endlessly without a plan; which is reflective in how and what I paint.
Address: 510 NW MacLeay Blvd Portland OR 97210
Acrylic
Community: NW Portland
Studio Number: 85
Email: lauraobrien11@yahoo.com
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