Koi Story
“I started painting koi in November of 2008 after noticing the water ripples created by koi in a photograph that my daughter took. The majority of koi in my paintings are garden-variety specimens, not show quality. Some do not belong to any formal category at all, rather they were chosen to balance the design.
In the studio, my efforts to paint their vibrant colors led me to use multiple layers of tinted oil glazes. The glaze also creates an illusion of depth that helps suggest that koi are receding from or floating up to the water’s surface. This method is both technically challenging and time consuming because each new application of glaze requires a different formula in order to prevent cracking the glaze below it as it cures. I work on many pieces simultaneously rotating them to apply new layers onto each surface when it’s ready.
The patterns on koi delight me. Koi markings, like Rorschach ink prints and cloud formations, stimulate my imagination”.
This series of paintings are all painted in oil glaze on canvas and are ready to hang. They were painted on wraparound canvas with the painting continuing around the sides of the canvas, eliminating the need for a frame.
My Koi Story series is displayed at The Gallery at Legacy West in Plano TX.
