Abstraction and Spontaneity
The paintings in “One More Step of the Journey 2013” are about the act of painting. Although individually the paintings possess different intensities, opposing levels of complexity and abstraction, and perhaps a vague adherence to a narrative, the core of the process of painting remains consistent. The paintings are merely a reflection of the process of painting them. Every process is unique, like no other, and often influenced by my mood that day, the weather, who I have been talking to, what I cooked the night before, what materials are available to me, etc.
Typically I begin with random strokes then respond with subsequent strokes, swipes, or plunges over and over until I have a chaotic situation on the canvas. At this point my job as a painter is to achieve a relative equilibrium, internally and externally, that guides me to the completion of the composition. The magic of painting can never be totally explained. I find great joy in discovering the emerging world of a new painting. Although harmony of the mind and the heart is important, the metabolic process of converting color, form and line into the forces that drive the painting is absolutely necessary. And when I can do no more, I walk away. I call the painting finished… until the next time.
Dick Roberts
