As a contemporary observational painter I paint where I reside, whether it’s Kathmandu or Oak Park. For the last 2 years I’ve wandered around Oak Park with my easel and paints, setting up everywhere, finding store fronts on those select days when the doors are open and inviting and front porches when the light is just right.
In both pastel and oil I always start with an underpainting, identifying colors beneath the surface. First I lay down an abstract wash, then create a multilayered surface with numerous applications of pastel or oil. I want to keep the painting process visible/apparent to maintain the integrity of each individual stroke and keep a sense of the beginning in the end.
To elevate the everyday and possess the transient moment, I want to keep a sense of mystery and hidden secrets behind the window into the doorway or around the corner. I’m fascinated by interaction: edge of the tree with the sky, paint with the surface, reflections in the window, shadow with light.
I work to maintain the gesture, the movement of my hand, creating an illusion of space and light while simultaneously asserting the surface of the painting. It’s a window, it’s a wall.
Copyright Kathy Hirsh. All rights reserved.
Please send me an email if you are interested in a painting.
I'd love to hear from you.
kmj3@mac.com
2016