THE PRINT PROJECT AND IT’S AFTERMATH

Several years ago I decided that I wanted to do a set of lithographs based on a painting I did of an almond tree.  Having never made a lithograph before I thought I'd share the process with you and get your input along the way.

I made 4-plate lithograph, that I printed in different colors to represent different times of the day.              

Almond Tree Morning

Almond Tree Night

Almond Tree Afternoon

Almond Tree Evening

Then I took the separations and scanned them and made a digital version of the lithograph. With 4-scans, I was able to make each scan a different color. Being the art history nerd that I am I used this as an opportunity to explore the palettes used in some of my favorite paintings by some of my favorite artists - Van Gogh, Gerhard Richter and William Nicholson.         

I then used the digital rendering to inspire new paintings on canvas. In this process, it became clear that I didn't just want to change the palette, I wanted to change everything about how I applied the paint. I poured paint, and dripped it, I flung it and scraped it. I used brushes, and squeegees, and rags, and paint sticks, palette knives and my fingers. I used oil paint, enamel paint, metallic paint and highway glass.

What remained was as abstract image that was based in nature and had a certain quality of light.And even then, I was not quite finished, I also went back to some of the lithographs and painted on them to further enhance the image. This project started in 2008 and it isn't quite finished.

"Tree in Twilight", 67” x 96”, oil, enamel, metallic paint on canvas, © Leslie Parke 2015

When people ask me how long it takes me to do a painting, I assume they are asking how long it takes to apply the paint -- not how long it takes to conceive an idea, nurture it, modify it, deconstruct it and reinvent it. This process is essential to me. It is not repeating an image, it is studying, investigating, and dissecting an image. And until I have discovered everything I can, I keep working on it. But now something new is bubbling up. And again it is something I don't quite know how to go about.

"Almond Tree - Light Through Rain", 72” x 96”, 4-parts,oil, enamel and metallic paint on canvas, © Leslie Parke 2017

So, I thought this would be a good time to share my journey with you. I have a vague idea where I want to go with the new work, but no idea how I am going to get there. If you have any ideas, feel free to chime in. The new project is called The Grid Project and I'll explain it to you in my next post.