Carl Stearns - painter

Artist Statement

My work is representational. As a retired architect, I was trained to look at spaces, patterns, silhouettes, surfaces and directional light, more than at objects. I am totally smitten with the idea that a three dimensional subject can be projected onto a two dimensional plane, an then given back its space, its perspective, its surface, its color and its life in an unmistakable, but artistically-modified recreation of its volume and sense of place. In addition to landscapes, I like to paint groupings of historic houses and settlement-period barns that "compose." As a forest owner, I am also interested in how trees appear to us, both heavily-foliated and dying.

Artistic Process

First I carbon transfer the primary silhouettes of a digital image onto canvas board. Next I paint in the darkest values in a single, cool, dark neutral color, to make a two-dimensional study, in confirmation of desirable sky, land and water proportions. Sometimes, I paint the whole canvas board first, in a warm, neutral value tint, which can survive as a major roof r forest or lake surface color through the whole painting process, or serves as a base for complementary colors. I paint in liquid acrylics, with glazing liquid added quite often.

Next, I enter the deepest shadows and ambiguous voids in black. I then paint in the sky and areas of reflection, using the white board as base and adding various tints, light to dark. Then, all the remaining colors warm and cool, in the image. Some of my favorite brushes for detail ate liners, fantail and slotted. I am trying to be more abstract and am gradually working toward larger images than 16" by 20".

©2024 Carl Stearns. All rights reserved. Duplication is not allowed without permission.