new work
New paintings from the fine art studio of Wendy Skog.
Painting in the abstract mode requires that the artist approach the canvas with a pure aesthetic intention concerned primarily with color, line, texture, and balanced composition. In the artworks exhibited in a previous show at Martin Batchelor Gallery, my customary painterly approach accentuated texture in several of the pieces and was counterbalanced by a simplified palette and softer color. One of the paintings was entitled Semper ad Meliora. The Latin phrase means 'always towards better things' and it is a good description of my exploratory style of art-making. Each painting is a process of discovery, an intuitive interaction between myself and the canvas.
Rogue Red acrylic on canvas 22 x 30 in. © W.Skog
The beauty of this painting lies in its warmth. It is faintly a landscape due to the horizontal lines and the suggestion of a stand of autumn trees. And then there's that astonishing blue line on the diagonals.
Nightfall acrylic on canvas 42 x 54 in. © W.Skog SOLD
In the studio, as the nights were getting longer and the days were getting shorter the paintings were resonating in tune with the winter solstice without any help from me. Although some pieces were dark as a result, I decided to go with the flow as I know spring will elicit something different.
Original archival prints: While waiting for my studio to be renovated, I have continued creating new work in the medium of archival limited edition prints on hand molded cotton rag papers and specially prepared metal plates. These are always one of a kind originals, from start to finish, not reproductions, and small editions of 10 or fewer. They are created with digital brushes and paints and printed by myself in my studio: always hand rendered prints with the potential to increase in value!
Tulip Blues
original print (not a reproduction)
archival pigment ink on fine art paper.
13 x 19 in. unframed
limited edition of 10
© W. Skog
Dreams of the Sungod acrylic on canvas 38 x 50 in. © W.Skog SOLD
Verging on still-life, this painting could theoretically be categorized as abstract expressionism. The static whiteness is what makes it dreamlike as seen through a window of hazy light and stillness.
Voices of Earth acrylic on canvas 55 x 38 in. © W.Skog SOLD
The surface of this painting contains subtle and interesting texture in a few limited areas. Could it be another abstract landscape? Was I thinking of my Alberta roots in the fields of golden wheat? Or, see my blog post What was I Thinking?
After the Rain acrylic on canvas 30 x 30 in. © W. Skog
There is a distinct earthy freshness after a summer rain. This painting restores the pure sunlit color after a shower and retains a visual crispness.
Scintilla acrylic on canvas 30 x 30 in. © W. Skog
Often I am happy with the dark mysterious colors because they invite meditation on the deep secrets of life. The spark is divine!
The Bluebird Waltz mixed media on aluminum 32 x 48 in. © W. Skog
This artwork embodies the perilous, experimental departure into pure abstract drawing. Using oilstick and other drawing mediums I wanted to construct an entire painting with a varied line element so that in completion the drawing composed the painting. Quite an unforgiving process! The drawing seems to give this painting an electrified energy. Note that the substrate is metal.
Contemporary visual art: the abstract genre
Painting in the abstract mode is always intended to provide the viewer with a pure aesthetic experience. Why should that be the focus? It allows for the appreciation of an artwork for its inherent properties as a sensory field unencumbered by a literal, cerebral interpretation. It provides endless appreciation for the nuance that it is built upon. Coming soon: a new series of nine abstract paintings approximately 42 x 54 inches each.
wendy skog abstract art studio copyright 2024