Libby Manchester Gilpatric
My paintings are about paint and composition–not necessarily “pretty.” I rely on color and value to give a painting structure. The subject can be any ordinary place or object that makes me want to paint it–from an industrial site to the most fragile flower. But it must speak to me as a challenge inspiring me to rise to the occasion of putting it onto canvas. For me the fun is in finding a rhythm while creating the painting, as if in a dance, and then refining the paths I want your eyes to follow with sparse or luscious application of paint consistent with the structure I have designed. I think about painting all the time. I love working with oil paint. It is such an unfussy, low-tech, physical medium. I can use any range of colors, but almost always it’s four tubes of paint with minor variations. I can lay down bold shapes of color and value without concern over the surfaces of the subject such as textures or the apparent feel of the surface of what I am painting. I’m not interested in making you feel a velvety smooth surface or splinters in a wooden shack. Rather I want you to look at the shack and how its form relates as an element of the landscape. Once I decide on a subject, I have already painted it somewhat in my mind. Therefore, the actual act of applying paint to canvas becomes the ending of an entire process–a journey.
Artist’s Statement
Juried regularly into local, regional and national shows, my work often wins prizes – Honorable Mention to Best in Show. One of my Biker paintings appeared on a magazine cover. A dozen works were used in a Richard Gere film (Hachi). Another piece hangs in Senator Sheldon Whitehouse’s office, the second one to have a place of honor there.
Contact
libbygilpatric@yahoo.com
See more work: www.libbygilpatric.com
www.libbygilpatric.blogspot.com
STUDIO
Visit by appointment: 401-440-3974