Andrea Cermanski

I paint because it enlivens me. I prefer working abstractly because it allows me to give life to a new world. In this way, the painting becomes its own entity.

The foundation of my work is color. I mix my own colors and neutrals meticulously, using very little black or white. Each painting commences with a bright color, and from there I allow the painting to reveal itself to me. Each mark made with the palette knife or brush informs the next, allowing the painting to unfold. The work is finished when the colors and forms are visually balanced.

Texture is a significant component of my work because my goal is to create a surface, not just paint on one. I enjoy using a palette knife because it allows me to apply thick paint, making my work more 3-dimensional. I prefer using acrylic and encaustic paint because they lend themselves to working thickly and quickly. With both of these mediums I am able to create highly textured, layered pieces.

My work is the antithesis of Trompe l’oeil. Rather than trying to “trick” the viewer into believing the image is reality, I am interested in the viewer being intrigued by the mere beauty of paint. The images which I create do not try to replicate reality; rather, they create a new reality. I want the viewer to see my process and appreciate how beautiful it is when ultramarine blue drips into yellow paint, or how vibrant it is when red is scraped over lime green. I am interested in the way colors react with each other, and how in turn we react as viewers. Ultimately, it is my goal to uplift and engage the viewer, while giving them the opportunity to make their own meaning for the painting.

My current work continues to explore color, texture and process through mixed media.These miniature pieces utilize encaustic paint and transparencies of my original photography. In my series entitled Not So Square, I explore the relationship of the female figure to nature. Juxtaposing nude portraits with natural images such as spiky cacti and tree bark, I invite the viewer to explore layers of meaning. On another level, by placing “not so square” subject matter into “not so square” boxes, I play with the idea that women are placed into imperfect boxes. How natural is it for society to place women into boxes? How unnatural does it feel for women to be in them? These are some of the questions I ask in this series. The thick, luscious quality of encaustic paint lends itself to this series by enhancing the sensuality of the subject matter, while the small size of the pieces increases intimacy with the viewer.