eileen blyth

There are times when I have an idea in my head of how a painting will go. Usually as I work, a completely different thing happens, as if the paint had a whole different plan. Somewhere between building the surface and making and erasing marks there is a shift. It is that moment of knowing, of seeing that shape or line, of finding the composition that is the exciting thing for me.

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My head is full of thoughts, conscience and sub-conscience. I am in conversation, or meditating, over analyzing, or simply joyfully reacting to an environmentally inspired mood. Bold lines are followed by quieter thoughtful ones as if i am having a discussion; debating. Sometimes it amuses me. Sometimes it is frustrating. I am digging in, digging deep. It has to feel authentic. I am trying to discover, not just repeat the same words over and over. My mood may change from one day to the next so balancing the conversation, being consistent in thought; one conversation at a time, is impossible. I usually work on 4 or 5 pieces at a time, turning from a painting to a sculpture and then to yet another painting in one session. Starting on the floor, I may be moving paint and lines around. Then, I find myself in another corner of the studio playing with a piece of worn wood and rusted nails. It makes perfect sense that I see my lines in my sculpture and my sculpture in my drawings but it always surprises me. I like experiencing that same moment of surprise when a viewer, for just one second, isn't sure what they are looking at.