Fantasy in Copper

18 in x 18 in

04/2021

I’ve done several symmetric paintings on square canvases and symmetry, yet each time I make one, I see different patterns and possibilities. After I’ve laid down the precise grid using rulers and pencil, I step back from the canvas and see different possibilities. I also reconsider the piece as it evolves when I add colors, considering how much of a certain color the piece needs, what final color balance the painting should have (lighter, darker, more of one color or another) and how best to bring out interesting patterns and shapes. As a result, despite many paintings beginning with similar grids, they always seem to turn out differently compared to other square symmetry paintings. I’ve learned to treat the gridlines that I’ve laid down more as suggestions than boundaries that must be preserved. This painting was made with coppers, reds, oranges and yellows. When all the colors have been put down, I reconsider it one last time whether it should have additional lines to break up the piece or highlight certain shapes. That’s what I did here with thin black lines, to emphasize crosses from all corners and from the middles of the edges (kind of like the Union Jack flag).