ALCHEMY

Red is the color of life

Out of all 8 paintings in this collection, Alchemy is the piece that surprised me the most. There was such a visceral reaction as I poured and splattered vivid reds and crimsons onto the blank canvas. It’s like this particular color was the loudest of them all.

Toward the end of the painting process, I reached for darker colors - and I fell in love with the darkest, deepest maroon. There is something so intense and confronting about these layers - which is how the title came to me.

These deep layers reminded me of blood - but in the double-edged, transformative balance between life and death and the power that blood (and red) holds in that space.

In all my paintings, you’ll see final marks made with charcoals, pastels, and even scratches made directly in the wet paint. What’s your favorite detail element?

alchemy: a power or process that changes or transforms something in a mysterious or impressive way