Laurie Goddard
Laurie Goddard
This body of abstract landscapes comprises reflections of time spent in Italy, Japan and Western Massachusetts as well as distillations of their cultures. My materials are water based paints and varnishes, oxidized semi-precious leaf and charcoal on both hardboard panels and 300 lb. paper. The result can be seen as a cool amalgam of both a moment or a lifetime. This process, the addition and subtraction of color and the manipulation of the leaf through patination, pushes the limits of water based mediums, and forces their compatibility with metals. Through this tension and transformation the work becomes a travelogue of modern and antique imagery. The Asian influence on my work comes from study of Japanese architecture and calligraphy. The Italian influence is from a few wonderful years living in Milan, and subsequent return visits. Western Massachusetts, where I now live, provides inspiration in the form of ever changing beauty and urgency. In my attempt to reveal underlying structures and reconnect eras, I have come to realize that these three references are wonderfully compatible.
Encaustics, pigmented molten wax, are a new medium I am introducing into my work. It is an ancient art form both painterly and sculptural. I am currently incorporating this into images from my trip to Morocco as well as a series of the great American West.
I am influenced by the great Modernists and the Abstract Expressionists, as well as music and poetry. Gesture, serenity, memory, elegance and the thrill of the hunt are my main motives for painting.