Cathy Locke
California, USA, Red Ribbon, oil, 24 x 30"
My Inspiration
I have been exploring the female figure’s movement and transitions through a color field. I am working with the concept of multidimensional space; I think it represents the way we are all moving through life now. Our species is evolving as we move in and out of a variety of environments and situations on a daily basis. We find ourselves in a state of constant duality, attempting to maintain symmetry within our interchanging movements. In order to express this concept, I purposively use one person in similar poses to look at the interaction of movement and negative space. My work crosses representational toward abstraction. Detailed representation is purposely placed in an abstract field upon which the figure is abstracted within that field.
My Design Strategy
I use composition, shape and color to create movement in my work. My compositions deal with multiple figures grouped in such a way to create rhythm, tension and equipoise. Within the composition I simplify form to various degrees moving toward abstraction. Usually I mix complementary colors to create a muted color for the background. These background fields are made up of several muted colors of various degrees of warm and cool. With Red Ribbon
I used a warm, muted color behind the three figures on the left to unite them. In areas where I want to create a more active vibration I increase the hue of the color. The edges in my work are primarily soft; I only use hard edges to bring form forward.
My Working Process
I take a visual and written approach. For the last decade, I have set aside time each month to study and write about artists. My article “Decoding Henri Matisse’s Color” shifted my approach to color intensity. “Mikhail Vrubel – The Mystic Painter” changed my thinking toward concept and technique. All this leads to new discoveries in my own work. I am obsessively organized and keep a strict schedule, which puts me in the studio six days a week for up to six hours daily. It usually takes me a month to finish one painting, at which time I hang it up so I can see it every day. Within a month, I see things that I want to change. My average painting takes three months to complete.
Contact Details
Email: cathy@cathylocke.com
Website: www.cathylocke.com