With abstract paintings there are no pre-conceptions.  The abstraction reveals the artist.  What gives pleasure to the eye and mind?  Meditation, energy, and serendipitous juxtapositions all stimulate subtleties.   The essence of my pleasure in painting is similar to the pleasure of viewing.

The important conflicts I work with are spontaneity and discipline, boldness and subtlety.  Incorporation of both extremes gives depth and tension.  I like to be spontaneous and then go back with a critical eye often repeating that cycle many times in an attempt to produce a loose, complex, but fresh and integrated whole.  The challenge is to combine both strength and subtlety so that both hold their own without detracting from each other.

Transitions between shapes and colors are like spaces between stones in a wall.  These negative shapes, lines or lack of them suggest how the shapes interrelate.  They influence how your eye travels around the canvas defining the nature of the energy and movement in a composition.

I paint fast, but I repaint the canvas many times.  I like the result of building up layers and I often use the previous painting(s) by leaving pieces of them or scratching through to them.  Bright colors make me happy and give me energy.

You may visit my website, www.ToryCowles.com, to see more of my work.

LIST OF EXHIBITIONS