David Ritland:

David focuses on process and chance, using floral forms as a basis to generate patterns. Vivid color is incorporated in layers, and an abrasion process liberates these underlayers of paint, often with an unexpected result. The effect is one that accentuates the wood surface and paint strokes. The final solutions is the essence of his abstacted subject.

"My goal is to leave the viewer with an impression of my subject, while not directly presenting the actual subject of the piece. In Echoes the abstraction is pushed a bit further, rather than incorporating all the elements of a plant, I take and embellish on just one shape repeatedlly."

He challenges himself by incorporating elements on the edge of his control, centering the work and coaxing them into a cohesive result. To develop his compositions, he deconstructs and dissects flowers to derive his basic forms.

Then begins a process where multiple layers of paint are added and removed by sanding. “The action of sanding is a bit of a discovery,” David indicates. “Although I track the layers mentally, I can’t be sure how the uneven layers will really present themselves when I take sandpaper to the piece. Sometimes the results are immediately wonderful. Sometimes they require more work to be successful. Working this way encourages me to be more thoughtful and inventive with my approach to the work.”

The works are almost entirely square in shape, a departure from previous works. "In earlier pieces, I used the shape of the canvas itself to reinforce the idea and essence of the abstracted subjects. In my current body of work, I am going in the other direction -- the use of a square helps to avoid implying a reading of the abstraction, such as a landscape or portrait."

"Mouths to Feed"

Woodcut Print

$65

"The Pump"

sold

"Grand Teaton"

sold