It’s All An Experiment!
I honestly have never thought of myself as an artist. In fact, I did not even begin to doodle, draw or paint a single thing until I was in my late 50’s. As a result I have had almost no formal training with the exception of 4 semester courses in drawing, color theory, design and printmaking. So my art is the result of experimentation and serendipity, like much of life!
Having spent the majority of my life as a “left-brained” person, the shift to the more creative “right-brained” sight was a profound revelation in so many ways. As one example, I learned how to solve problems that seemed insoluble with a completely different insight. I also began to observe the world around me more closely, paying attention to color, mood, subtle shifts in seasons and in the quality of light.
In the course of my left-brained life I have had several careers: microbiologist, investment analyst and manager, language and linguistics student and now ESL teacher and program manager. Each transition involved learning something completely new and “from scratch”. So that is how I approached art – just try something, make lots of mistakes, fail, observe and learn what worked or what didn’t work.
Because I have had so little formal training, I have few pre-conceptions and feel free to experiment with surfaces and media. I work almost exclusively in pastels incorporating acrylic and watercolors as under paintings. And then I use a wide variety of soft and hard pastels to render an image. I particularly love working with bright white sanded papers which I tone with washes of acrylic or watercolor. I may then draw a rough image over that and moisten it with alcohol to let it take on more shape – even one that I didn’t anticipate. Then I begin working the surface with hard and then soft pastels while rubbing and texturing along the way. And finally, I “tinker” with a highlight here and there to emphasize the mood.
So, that’s it – art as an experiment!
Welcome to my virtual show (my first ever!) and my art reception on June 25th at 5:00PM!
Artist Reception with Christine Cordaro
This virtual event will feature a conversation with the artist discussing several pieces, followed by a Q&A session. Registration required; register via Eventbrite. This event is free; donations are encouraged. To donate, please visit our donation page here and mention this event by name in the comments section.
Purchasing art – To purchase prints and cards of Christine’s artwork, send an email to christinecordaro@mac.com. A portion of the proceeds goes to support the Dance Palace.