ARTIST STATEMENT
My paintings explore texture and gesture and are about the memories and emotions that are evoked in the process. Inspiration comes from everywhere: feelings, poetry, things that take my breath away. These are tucked away into a kind of reservoir, echoes of them surfacing later in my paintings. Using acrylics, encaustic, oil & cold wax and whatever works, I am driven by a sense of play and an exploration of the materials as much as by intuition and an emotional response to the evolving painting. Ultimately, it is all about the process: becoming immersed in the moment and the physicality of engaging the surface, of finding a sense of order of refuge. I don’t plan a painting, but respond to it as I go, editing now and then for composition and what feels right. Mostly, I let it take me where it will. There is a visceral feeling in the physical act of engaging the surface that releases a visual energy. It flows through the layers, creating depth, motion and an intimacy that invites viewers in to share in a kind of dialog, to explore and participate in the experience through the lens of their own personal filters.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Known for her earthy, expressive paintings, Chicago artist Kathy Blankley Roman, moves easily between acrylics, mixed media, encaustic and oil & cold wax – the common link being her process of working in layers and excavating back through them, creating texture and history. High energy marks flow through the layers of a limited palette, resulting in paintings that pulse with energy, depth, and a sense of place with an intimacy that invites further exploration. Her award winning work has been featured nationally in juried and solo exhibitions, and in private and corporate collections. She was the Bronze Award winner in Art Ascent’s 2017 Abstract Issue, and featured in the 2022 Abstract issue; she has been featured numerous times in The Woven Tales Press and was twice named a finalist in the Abstract/Experimental Category of The Artist Magazine’s Annual Competition. Kathy has shown in the Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, WI; Zhou B and Bridgeport Art Centers, Chicago; Arts Benicia, CA; Anderson Arts Center, SC; Turner Center for the Arts, Athens, GA; Freeport Art Museum; Von Liebig Art Center, Naples, FL; University of South Carolina/Beaufort, among others and was one of the artists featured in the EBook “A Walk into Abstracts-How do they do that?-Vol. 4” by Sue St. John. Kathy’s work can found in the permanent collection of the Museum of Encaustic Art in NM and she is represented by ALMA Art and Interiors, Chicago.
© Kathy Blankley Roman