The Queue
A Series. Serious business…painting well, producing several paintings, the emerging theme, a unifying look, my inner vision, the titles, and commercial considerations.
In the past months I have painted nine paintings, six of which are not yet on my website. The first was an interpretation of a photo I took in Russia of folks standing in line with red straps presumably affixed to a stanchion. Ah…a line of people with red lines. The next painting was a line of people crossing a street with crosswalk lines. More lines. The next painting shows several people sitting on a long park bench. Another line. I thought, "I'm thinking about lines"… Linear Thinking!
Then I made several more paintings. I noticed that the park bench painting just didn't fit. Nor did the painting of the people walking in the park. The band (Friday Night Live Too) was certainly out of line. These are all bright and cheery, but without notable lines. Okay, I have some individual, cheery paintings for my website.
However, the remaining paintings do form a series. They have graphic lines, minimal background, and urban suggestions. Linear Thinking was there all along. So, as a check, I asked myself "What is the definition of linear thinking"? Since I am not inclined to research with academic integrity, I searched for a self-serving answer and found "Linear thinking is a step by step approach to solving a problem or completing a task." How perfect…painting literal lateral lines, people walking and stepping, my sequential process of creating a series.
As my artist statement indicates, I paint figures in public spaces. I am interested in human interaction or lack thereof. The graphic lines in the Linear Thinking series imply boundaries, rules, and choices. They add definition, delineation, and direction to the human narrative. And, finally, I think lines are an essential design element in the paintings. In other words, the lines support both my internal and aesthetic sensibilities.
My only concern now is whether my paintings On Cue, The Queue, The Crew, Not a Clue, Who? and Whew! will have commercial appeal. I just completed a sub-series, Coming Through. I hope to see You at my upcoming exhibit. Seriously.
