Marie Massey

Sometimes the idea for a painting spontaneously presents itself as in plein air painting. I am inspired by the quiet meandering of a river, the vastness of a desert gorge, or the way afternoon sun lights the curve of an arch. Sometimes my paintings are inspired by many impressions and feelings of a place. I use technique to express relationships and create a sense of atmosphere, time and space.

I use a Painting in Layers method which combines the value, shadow and shape ideas of chiaroscuro with color ideas from the impressionist painters. This method creates color interest and harmony as well as a structural foundation for the final layers in oil. I continue to sketch and resketch, using a sensitive line so that the image achieves an organic quality with the impression of movement, depth and dimension as well as subtle light effects such as transparency of water and sky.