In 1978, after completing a series of studies based on the late abstract paintings of Richard Diebenkorn, I began to reconsider the elements of the work: the compositional arrangement, and the marks used to add the the color/paint. I had been emphasizing the composition by smoothing out the marks and color variations within the shapes. The reevaluation led me to return to the mark as evidence of the time spent and the attention given to the painting. I decided to abandon the asymmetrical architectural composition and simply fill the surface with an “all-over” composition or color field.
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Untitled (a la RD. #44) oil pastel on paper, 12" x 14", 1977
This is the last oil pastel study I made before abandoning the architectural composition. The works following this are “all over” composition or color field painting.
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Untitled (early o.p.), oil pastel on paper), 17" x 24", 1978
Once I eliminated the compositional divisions the paintings began to look like color field paintings. I was never really interested in color relationships. I was more interested in showing the process and or revealing the marking or filling in of the surface.
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Untitled (peach tree) oil pastel on paper, 18" x 25", 1979
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Untitled (small yellow) oil pastel on paper, 15" x 15", 1979
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Untitled (small green) oil pastel on paper, 15" x 15",1979
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Oil Pastel Diptych (small), oil pastel on paper, 15" x 30", 1979
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Untitled (small dark), oil pastel on paper, 15" x 15", 1979
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untitled (op#7) oil pastel on paper, 18" x 27", 1979
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Untitled (small gold), 15" x 15", oil pastel on paper, 1979
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Untitled (small square in square), oil pastel on paper, 15" x 15", 1979
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Untitled (op #20), 30" x 30", oil pastel on paper, 1979
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Untitled (large gold edge) oil pastel on paper, 30" x 30", 1979
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Untitled (large blue, green edge) oil pastel on paper, 30" x 30", 1979
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Untitled (horizontal bluegreen) oil pastel on paper, 30" x 30", 1979
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working with large sheets of primed stonehenge paper, cut to square, I filled the entire surface with one color after another, creating five or six layers. The last covering was done with white. The white oil pastel would interact with the previous layers in three ways. It would mix the colored layers. It would scrape off some of the underlying color. And it would leave its own white mark.
In the last few, the paper is left stapled to the masonite that served as the stretcher for the paper as well as the drawing board on which I worked.
Most works are oil pastel on paper, 40 inches square
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oil pastel on paper, 40" x 40", 1980
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oil on paper mounted to masonite, 42″ x 42″
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this one is oil pastel on canvas, 60″ x 60″
I reworked several of the works I completed early in the series. As I sought ways to control the mark making process, and control my mental activity, that is, force concentration, or stimulate attentiveness, various linear configurations, rectangles and edge treatments were tried. These late works feel mannerist, like the series had run its course.
