Leighann Foster

Study In Opacity

Artist's Statement

Space is what interests me the most in my new work. The Internet has changed my awareness of space. Technology has made everything available, immediate, and up close, and I don’t have to physically go long distances to get information. So instead of painting deep space using perspective, I paint areas with thin layers of glazing using values. Some are transparent, translucent, or opaque. This creates a visual effect of short to paper-thin distances between the layers, all of which are mostly vertical like the computer screen. I find varnishing parts of the painting and not others creates space because shiny areas advance and matt areas recede.

I have been using gesso deep cradle boards 1.75” thick. The edges are beveled and the sides painted so there isn’t a need to frame the outer edge. I paint the background directly on the board. I paint the subject on ¼” gesso board and frame it and glue it to the background. Sometimes I cut the shape of the subject out of ¼” gesso board, paint it, and glue it to the background. So the subject of the painting has a 3-D affect, is on top, immediate, and projects toward the viewer. The layers behind the subject advance and recede according to opacity and color.

I follow the same design rules as other painters, using composition, color, values, brushwork, edges, and a story to tell with a center of interest. The titles explain the paintings and I seem compelled to find something amusing or thought provoking in the work and title.