Ellen Rich Rub for Good Luck
Heads Up, 2019
14x17”, Oil stick on paper
This work began over two years ago as the covid warnings and the political climate became increasingly threatening. I took refuge in my beloved studio of 33 years.
At a time of high alert I wanted to comfort and reassure myself as well as others. Playing with abstract shapes and high key color I hoped to show solidarity and connection with my fellow humans, to communicate the thought that we are all in this together.
Art that makes us feel good is as valid as any other.
The work is color driven. I love the infinite color choices, the additive action: putting down a shape, covering it, altering it with another shape, working, reworking, obsessing, making it better (or worse), adding but rarely subtracting until it feels right.
My approach to making work is intuitive and explorative with the goal of creating a piece that speaks with emotion to the viewer.
