Rachael Grad

Experimental Blues (Diptych)

Experimental Blues (Diptych), ACRYLIC ON CANVAS, 3' X 4', 2021This large painting diptych has blue, teal, green, peach, purple, yellow, black, and white colors. I worked to alter the forms, light, colour saturation, and depth of space in the painting. The fast-drying acrylic paint allowed me to build up thin layers and texture, and make adjustments more quickly than I would be able to with oils. Over multiple painting sessions I worked to create variety in the shapes, lines, planes and spatial depth. As I worked on these paintings, I felt compelled to paint quickly and in loose gestural marks with huge brushes. Over multiple studio sessions, I built up paint washes, bold brushstrokes, palette knife marks, and paint directly squeezed from the tube on the canvas. As I added layers and textures with paint, the image became more lively and abstracted. I worked to alter the colour saturation and vary the elements and depth of space in the paintings.

“The original abstract diptych painting is signed on the back and was painted in 2021. ”