Jeffrey’s Process

“As an idea for a painting takes shape in my mind, I usually develop a specific plan, a set of rules or a formula that will govern the placement of lines and shapes on the surface. For example I may decide that all curved lines in this particular work will come from the same size arc without variation. I do this, deliberately limiting my visual freedom, to add unity or wholeness and to draw focus to a specific idea. Sometimes I’m interested in the beauty of mathematical precision. Other times, I fabricate a custom-shaped template and trace the entire form or parts of the form over and over. These shapes are then further delineated with smaller shapes, usually parallel lines. Each ‘cell’ is then masked with tape and coated in 4 to 7 layers of paint.

Just as the linear division of space has been formulating in my mind so to has a general plan for adding color. Most often, I begin with a single hue that has been part of a previous work. I’ve fallen in love with it and must explore more. I have hundreds of small samples from colors I’ve mixed (example photo to the right). I take that initial hue and begin playing mixing and combining until I find the beginnings of a ‘conversation’. From there I branch out adding analogous or contrasting hues as I see fit. Once I being applying them to the piece, I often add to or subtract from the chosen group as the painting comes to life. In the end, any given piece has 10 to 40 or so distinct hues.”