Artist Statement

“The future is not some place we are going, but one we are creating. The paths to it are not found but made, and the activity of making them changes both the maker and the destination.” - John Schaar

This quote illuminates the process I use as an artist. I do not begin with a predetermined outcome for a painting, rather I paint until meaning is found. It is in the doing that the future is made. My method is to begin by printing abstract monoprints on my etching press. I create patterns and textures on rag paper and then collage these papers onto prepared wooden panels. The paper is sealed with acrylic medium and then I layer oil paints, oil inks and more monoprints, alternating between building up and breaking down the surface. Eventually a visual resolution is found. Eventually a theme or idea emerges.

I have an ongoing fascination with the idea that life is a journey; one of constant change. I have dealt with aspects of this journey, including what it means to cross borders, travel through difficult times, move on, be at thresholds, and seek transformation and wholeness. I am also drawn to organic imagery to express ideas about being grounded and connected. Trees, roots, seed shapes, leaf shapes and circles are recurring elements in this work.

The combination of layering paper and paint produces a richly textured surface that retains fragments of the previous layers. I try to create a sense of movement; a sense that the picture plane is not static but has evolved and changed over time. This is well suited for the essence of my investigation: Where are we going? How do we get there? What is ending? What is beginning? I am committed to this pursuit with its open ended possibilities. I never know where I am going but I know absolutely when the future has arrived.

Julie Elliot