Process

"The working process and existence merge and there is no separation between life and work and the ultimate natural force of existence."  ~ Max Cole

Cosmos, oil on canvas, 32x32 inches, in progress

This is my latest painting, Cosmos, in progress.  My process begins with a heavily worked underpainting, a detail shown below:

Detail of Cosmos, work in progress

After I am satisfied with the underpainting, I begin to add titanium white oil paint over the prepared underpainting, using a dry brush technique.  I start from the upper left and continue until I reach the last block of the grid on the lower right.

 Detail of Cosmos, in progress

Although this process is extremely labor-intensive, I enjoy the meditative quality of my actions, and hope that the stillness and quiet of the white grid can soothe and calm the viewer as much as it does for me.  As winter descends on us here in the Sangre de Cristo mountains near Santa Fe, I am reminded of the purity of snow falling, steadily covering everything with a soft veil of white.