Featured Artist Lynn Hanley

Artist Lynn Hanley uses vibrant oils and collage to create magical abstracts and landscapes. To see more of her portfolio, visit her Instagram page.

 

 

Some painters like to work spontaneously.

 

 

They will approach a blank canvas without a preliminary drawing or any preconceived idea. The first stroke of the brush or palette knife will begin a journey of exploration into an unknown realm.

 

 

This style of painting can be very exciting. The canvas becomes a magic forest festooned with hidden colors and shapes waiting to be discovered.

 

 

There are artists who like to prime the canvas with a single color before starting a painting. If a deep color is used, like blue or black, one must work hard to pull the colors up from the depths of that darkness. Once, I used a black primer on my canvas and I struggled to bring the images into the light.

 

 

It has been my habit to create a series of preliminary drawings before beginning a painting.

 

 

My favorite medium in working out ideas for a new painting is chalk. Pastels are remarkable; their colors are luminous and they blend beautifully. There are occasions when the pastels blend so perfectly that they create colors that seem to breathe.

 

 

When blending pastels, I am frequently surprised at the resulting colors and shapes. This often leads to a variation of the original concept which is sometimes much more interesting.

 

 

Oil sticks are another medium I use for preliminary work; sometimes they stand on their own as works on paper. Oil sticks are more direct, and do not hint at color. Their vibrant colors lack the subtlety of pastels. Oil sticks are fun and playful and their broad expression allows me to experiment freely. They are like the fat chalks that children use to draw on sidewalks.

 

 

My paint of choice for canvas work is oil. Usually, I begin by cutting the paint with mineral spirits to create washes of color. Some paintings are “collaged”—created with pieces and parts from other paintings. This kind of painting is always challenging and fun because the collaged pieces are like a puzzle; they have to be woven into the narrative. Or conversely, the narrative of the painting will spring forth from the pieces affixed to the canvas.

 

 

I love the power and joy of color. Much of my art is directly influenced by music which I always listen to when I paint. My passion is to bring beauty into this world—I want to create paintings and sculptural works that bring light and joy to the viewer.

 

 

Artist Lynn Hanley invites you to follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

 

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