I recently finished this series of paintings based on the abstract architectural elements of the stairwell in my studio building. I started by photographing the stairwell at various angles and digitally changing the colors. Then, I did some charcoal sketches using the photos as reference. From there, I painted each piece using both the photos and sketch compositions as reference for the paintings. I didn't strictly follow the photos — used them as a starting point and let the paintings take their own direction. But, I used a similar palette on these five pieces to create continuity to link them together. I was also going through some very difficult personal things and family deaths during the time these were created, and working abstractly was the best way to express some of those feelings of loss.
These paintings were also the first full series of paintings done from start to finish since moving in to my new studio space in March of 2022. I'm including them in a larger series of Abstract Cityscapes. The below poem connects the paintings, their titles, and some ideas I was working through during the process.
Deconstruction of the Stairwell
Up the down escalator —
Now stuck in the stairwell,
Looking for soul connection frequencies.
Signals crossed.
Attached and intertwined, fractured.
Grasping the broken ladders —
Climbing out of limbo over and over,
Getting the stairwell vertigo blues.
IMAGES:
Stairwell photo
Stairwell photo
Deconstruction of the Stairwell, oil on canvas, 36x48”, 2022
Up the Down Escalator, oil on canvas, 40x30", 2022
Soul Connection Frequencies, oil on canvas, 40x30", 2022
Fractured Limbo Ladders, oil on canvas, 40x30”, 2022
Stairwell Vertigo Blues, oil on panel, 24x18”, 2022