Artists » Elaine Daily Birnbaum

My abstract paintings reflect my interpretation of relationships within my environment and are composed of mixed watermedia (watercolor, acrylic, ink, and crayon) on paper or canvas. I begin with no pre-conceived image, but rather randomly start to apply pigment to the surface. Intuitively, I begin to layer, blend and texture color, and, occasionally, add some collage, to create a rich, exciting, yet somewhat mysterious surface that, hopefully, beckons the viewer in for further rumination. Using this technique, I am able to create complexity as well as an indication of some past history in even the quietest parts of my work. As the painting progresses, I remain “open”, almost hyper-alert to its direction and suggested image. Once I am able to identify the suggestion of a subject or an image that I want to develop, I start working to bring order into the apparent chaos by bringing together the interplay between colors and shapes, always keeping design principles in mind. Although I am working on impulse and the colors and shapes may seem to be randomly applied at this stage, each consecutive brush stroke I apply is dictated by and is in response to the changing painting and the direction or story I want to tell.

However, my true inspiration, what really stimulates me to create something, is the actual process of manipulating color on a surface with a brush. Working within that medium to develop relationships and create some satisfying order out of chaos are my true inspirations. I often like to challenge myself to try something different, to push myself out of my comfort zone, to set up a problem within a piece that I must satisfactorily solve.

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