Elements

My current work takes me into a meditation on natural phenomena... the spectacle of changing light in the sky related to the forces of nature, the mysterious power of the seaside caves of the California central coast, the mesmerizing endless movement of water over rock of the Merced River.  My materials range from oil on canvas to pastel on paper, to xerox ink and pastel on mylar.  Each medium has its own expressive quality rendering the subject in new and revelatory ways of seeing.

All of the work begins with the photograph (my own plus found photograhs), which becomes a source for the final resulting artwork  The works on mylar had their origins in a 35 mm color print which was then translated into an enlarged black and white photo xerox on mylar and further worked with soft pastel.  This change of scale and material presents  an entirely different view of these images, translating the microcosm of water flowing over rock into a seeming macrocosm of planetary proportions.

The cave pastel drawings are based on photos I took at Pismo Beach this past year. The primal response to these ancient geological upheavals, first refuge and dwelling for humans, combined with the unearthly beauty of the rock colors, taps into a deep place in the human psyche.

The aurora paintings are based on found photos taken in the northern hemisphere, and the paintings are loosely based on these images of sky spectacle.  All of the work brings a sense of awe and respect for the bounty of the natural world.

The glacier series of collages and paintings evolved from photographs taken in Alaska at Glacier Bay.  Being in the presence of walls of crystalline blue ice, which is receding and vanishing as the global climate warms is a reminder of the potential negative impact of civilization on the natural world’s extravagant beauty and balance. 

Trude McDermott
2007
(559) 658-8354
jandtmcd@sti.net
www.gallery25.com