First Social Night for 2022, Chris Small – contemporary abstract

Chris Small – contemporary abstract in acrylics, oils, mixed media.

“I would say my work is full of movement and quite whimsical. I paint intuitively -I don't plan as such, but when an idea works, I will explore it through colour and different sizes. A lot of what changes my work is in the accidents - where a painting will start out exploring an old idea and then a new one will come through. Some of my paintings will have the old and the new together in the same piece.

People have described my paintings as having a glow and warmth  to them. I am trying to capture and repeat the 'feeling' of the sunglow, the way our Australian light bathes trees, the sand, the water - in particular at dawn and dusk- the way the glow of the light heals us in small moments of calm.

I paint layers with oil, oil sticks, pencil, charcoal and glazes. I use scratching back as a technique to layer the work and reveal the underneath. I will use nails, the ends of paint brushes, pencils, whatever is right there. I like to explore the way colours bounce off of each other, yet create harmony. “

For our Social Night, Chris will explore these ideas in more depth and demonstrate her painting process. It will be a fascinating and exciting evening.