SANDY GARNETT ART BLOG

My first Twister painting was end of winter 2004, when I was settling into the first loft I purchased.  As with most of my works this series continues to tickle the intellect and spirit in equal parts, the sign of a lasting fancy and something I look for in a series in order to grow with it.  Part of the Twister series became about presentation a couple years ago.  I decided to make my own frames for the series and I decided that the figures ought to be in relief somehow.  The past couple of years have been busy as usual, so finding the right answer comes between a hundred new paintings, my new Field of Figure work and several extensive studio renovations.  I am patient though.  I wait, I look, I explore and eventually the answer falls into place, often by chance.

In searching for the proper way to relief my figures, meaning raise the figures off the painting surface as coins are cast in relief, I decided that these things should not weigh a thousand pounds each.  So I decided to work with hollow doors, an excellent and cheap surface that pairs conceptually with many analogies people like with doors.  Water based or oil clay were out because they weigh so much.  I tried mache, a couple water based products that mimick clay, and nothing worked the way I envisioned it.  I found a super light material that in the end doesn’t quite do the trick but had me down a path since the summer; the type of path that is sort of an answer so I don’t have to keep looking, but not really the silver bullet, so at some point to make any progress I have to resume my searh.  This week I returned to the material search again and I think I found my material, which is mache like in its make up.  The first mache I used was very stubborn, even more stubborn than me, so I didn’t like it.  I found this week that mache, like many mediums is all about its suspension system, which is water.  I found a type of mache that makes sense to my brain and sculpting mentality.  It moves the way I want it when wet, delivers a rich texture, more than I originally wanted but this is good, and when it dries very quickly it is bullet proof strong so I can take a power sander to it and paint it with whatever I want.

 I have been waiting for th right answer in this department.  Once I find the right answer for a technical issue I often go hard after it… this means new art fast.  All of the puzzle pieces are falling together on the Twister front and while working this week I have been giddy with excitement.  I know what I am making is unique and this is most of the battle.  Most of what I make is resonant, a prerequisite for me to bother making a piece of art.  The formation and exploration of a new series is thrilling, and I am suddenly thrilled again with the art making process.  This feeling I get is the reason for my career choice and this feeling, that of a kid in a candy shop, never gets old… with more experience it requires more searching but it is always there for the taking.