Denise Thurmon

I begin without a plan. To simply put paint to paper and build color, transparent then opaque. To allow “color making” to take center stage and the subject to surface on its own. 

When I start a painting—it’s just me and the blank canvas. Nothing else. As a seasoned painter I find the abstract approach very freeing. I work with acrylics because they dry quickly, eliminating the temptation to over-think. Leaving me free to make art like a child, lost in the pure experience of painting.

But of course even “abstract art” is derived from something. My imagery comes from remembered experiences. The titles are notations about a moment in time, a spoken phrase, a feeling, a fleeting understanding. 

I am always aware of the need for craft—for visual power that strives to be significant and transformative. But basically, painting for me is joy. A chance to show, and share the personal inner vision gained through six decades of living.