I was talking with an artist friend the other day and the conversation turned to our palettes. She asked if I found using the same elements, again and again, was redundant. There are certain materials that I use frequently. The molding on the left for example, can be found in many of my works. Other times gears, eggs, rulers or feathers can be found in many of my works as well.
So I asked her if using the color blue, used in a lot of her work, was redundant.
I think it’s less about if certain materials, or colors, are used often and more about how they are used. If I use these items to simply “fill the space” then yes, to me that is very redundant. On the other hand, if I use these items often because they do what I need them to do, then no, they are merely a means to an end.
I often struggle with how to keep these Foundlings fresh. When I get unsure, these works are merely frames around little bits of nature. Then I remind myself that I am not just trying to find beauty but to find a way to put such differing kinds of material together that make a statement. To look at the familiar and have it be new. To have these pieces wake up something in the viewer. If, in the process, I use certain materials again and again, so be it.