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Bridget Scales |
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I
am interested in the idea of human memories and how we translate what we
experience into snapshots that we carry for the duration of our lives.
I am inspired by places I have been at pivotal moments of growth, people
that have touched me in some way, and objects that trigger a feeling of
connection to my life’s story. Each work captures a moment through the
use of simple blind contour drawings translated into impasto oil
paintings on canvas and panel. For the past ten years I have used blind
contour drawings as a tool for my students to learn to record exactly
what the eye sees rather than infer visual information. I draw from
family photos and real life without looking at my paper or lifting my
pen from the drawing until I feel I have recorded every detail. These
drawing are bold and true and I am always surprised by the frankness of
the final image. Sometimes, because they are done without looking at
the paper, the subjects end up distorted and strange in composition, yet
complete in their extent of detail. By not looking at the drawing as I
work, my hand has no choice but to completely trust my eyes, and with
that the connection between my subject and I becomes intimate.
My subjects are places, objects, and people that are significant to me drawn from life or photographs. The process of recreating moments intrigues me in how it relates to our bittersweet feelings about our quickly moving lives. This body of work also relates to personal change and growth, acknowledging past journeys, and the idea of this moment being tomorrow’s recollection. When portraits are included in my work, the subjects are people that I know, and when they see them, I feel that they understand they are being celebrated. For me, traveling and leaving home is a freeing and sometimes humbling experience that evokes a sense of truly living. Others relate to my travel paintings either with an understanding of why I chose those places, or sometimes they are simply reminded of somewhere they have been. My intent in using the combination of blind contour and palette knife application is to express energy and movement, further suggesting the idea of a passing moment. My curiosity is piqued each time I pull out photos and begin to record the details that I never noticed before. I feel connected to that experience, place, or memory, and renew fleeting moments of my journey by savoring them in my paintings. |
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