Another Window Into My Creative Process in Studio

I'm trying to document some of my creative process in my studio so you can see the steps I go through to create my paintings. 

Today I worked on another painting in my Revelation series. Feel free to check out the post before this one to get some of the back story as to why I'm doing this series and to see the other paintings I've completed so far in the series. 

To sum up: I'm creating a painting for each chapter in the Book of Revelation in the Bible. I'm not painting a theological interpretation (don't want to go there), but rather I'm creatively responding to what I've read through my abstract expressionist artist's view. I'm allowing more of a feeling to emote instead of trying to figure out what it all means literally.  

This painting is the 10th that I've created (there are 22 chapters). 

This was the computer mock up I created to give myself an idea of the direction I wanted to go for the painting (colors and imagery) which is on Chapter 3 (a continuation of the letters to the churches). 

 Each painting is on a 3 foot by 3 foot gallery wrapped box canvas. For this one, I started out by sketching an outline on the canvas to give myself some direction and shape for the paint. 

Here's some video of me sketching. 

Then utilizing latex house paints and a large brush I began blocking out the darker areas of the painting. 

Here's a video of some of the brushwork. 

I continued adding color (with latex house paints) going from dark to light. 

Video of more brushwork adding color. 

The painting seemed to take on an almost bird like shape. I thought that was fun...but it was no where near being finished. 

I continued layering more colors.

Then I began applying acrylic paint thickly with a texture tool. 

Here is video of applying the thick acrylic paint. 

And then the painting changed and evolved. For a moment I wasn't sure what was taking place. 

More texture being applied. 

And then it began to come together. More color and some detail areas being painted in brought it back to where it needed to go. 

Here is video of some of the color detail being layered in.

Here is video of more drips being intentionally applied.

I continued to work for hours...taking moments to step back and look at the canvas (I took lots of photos so I could get a feel for what it looked like beyond my own eye) and this helped me determine what I needed to do next, where I needed to apply color or texture.

As I found myself at a stopping point with the painting part of the process and needing to move on to the gluing on of the image part of the process I realized that I didn't know which direction I should have the canvas. This happens sometimes, when my abstract background allows for multiple ways the painting can be viewed. 

So I turned the canvas to each side to have a look at it to determine which way I wanted to to set the canvas so I could apply the image of the archway to it. 

SIDE 1

SIDE 2

SIDE 3

SIDE 4

Intuitively I chose to go with SIDE 4. 

I applied the Mod Podge to the back of the paper image I had printed. 

Then I applied the image to the canvas and smoothed it out with a small plastic squeegee tool. 

Next in the process was to paint the sides black and then spray the surface with a matte fixative. 

Here is the finished painting. 

rev #3

c. 2018 Lisa Marten

3ft x 3ft mixed media on canvas. 

$954.

artist statement

This painting is an abstract expressionist artist's response (not a theological interpretation) to Revelation Chapter 3. 

Revelation 3:7-8 says..."See I have opened a door before you that no one can slam shut." 

I wanted to depict a door that is always open...beckoning us forward...(notice the tiny white spot in the distance...I see that as the door that is opened that cannot be shut. The archway is just marking the way). 

So that is my response to Revelation 3.

I wonder what chapter I'll paint next?!