Compositional Studies

Mingling Microbes, acrylic on canvas, copyright Nina Leung, 2017

   Here are the results of the flow of work from last post. It finally felt natural to paint. My thoughts are often absorbed in what I plan to paint and what is behind those plans. See the rest after the jump.

Bacterial Growth #1, acrylic on canvas, copyright Nina Leung, 2017

   As I started working on this series, I found myself wanting to paint more. While the brushes were still wet, I went searching for pre-stretched canvasses of any size. Luckily, my grandmother has given me many over the years and I was ready. It's as if she knew this time would come and I would need supports at a moments notice.

Bacterial Growth #2, acrylic on canvas, copyright Nina Leung, 2017

   My Grandmother told me that she read about Robert Motherwell doing compositional studies and his process involved a stack of supports, a brush, and a tub of black paint. He would paint simple shapes and lines, playing with the composition until he saw one that he felt was right. I thought about this while I was working, that need to continuously work and make different compositions work.

Bacterial Growth #3, acrylic on canvas, copyright Nina Leung, 2017

  As I was working on these compositions, I was thinking about those bacteria growing in the crystal caves and how they have changed and evolved to live in that strange environment.