Luke Doughty

Painting takes me on a journey. Working in abstraction on a large scale allows me to respond to the paint while I create intuitively. Both the scale of a large canvas and the fluidity of oil paint gives me the freedom to continually layer the surface as I go along and develop a work through a trial and error process. Likewise, the finished work may often look completely different from what I originally envisioned. This means of working requires both acceptance and confidence in my process.

The lack of regularity and structure draws me to abstract art. I am most free when I create abstract art because of its extremely subjective nature. It is not bound by expectations to look or feel a certain way, as is the case for much representational work. This gives me the confidence and freedom to rely solely on my autonomy when creating a work. When I work in abstraction, I attempt to maintain a sense of balance between intentionality and free play. Too much planning can overwork a canvas, but at the same time, not enough intentionality can make the work feel empty.

From a visual perspective, I enjoy combining the look of geometric squares of color in various sizes with expressive linework and etching. Because I work on a large scale, separating the canvas into different regions using squares keeps the viewers’ attention continuously moving around the canvas and provides balance. This combination creates a dynamic interaction between the formality of geometry and the informality of expressive line. Through expressive line, I convey a sense of letting go. At the same time, the structured blocks of color maintain a sense of order.

By carefully placing these elements throughout the canvas, I can make both line and shape complement each other in a way that amplifies both forms. I work in oil paint because the physical properties of the paint itself allow me to attain, high-value, pastel colors that I enjoy seeing. My palette usually consists of muted pinks, blues, and tans because I am personally drawn to the low intensity of these muted colors and the various gradients they can achieve.