PrintLaurie Pace's evolving imagery
EnlargeLaurie Pace sees images of majestic horses where many of us would only see random splotches of color on her unfinished canvas. “I never know until I come to my easel and stare at the blank canvas what will evolve,” Pace says. Pareidolia is the name for what happens when Pace gazes at her thickly applied strokes of oil paint and begins to visualize equine forms. It’s the same term used to describe the phenomena of seeing animals in clouds or faces in the moon.
Pace may create up to six layers of paint and pull-strokes with her palette-knife, revealing half-inch grooves in the three-dimensional surface, before standing back to allow the pareidolia to determine the subject of the painting. Pace’s “painted pull” technique reveals her passion for color; creates a sense of movement; and demonstrates the strength, wildness, and grace of her subject. Most remarkably, Pace’s textured use of paint allows the viewer to participate in the creation. Viewers can’t help but look for forms in the background, thereby learning the skill of pareidolia themselves.
“An artist doesn’t grow unless they seek new horizons,” Pace believes, so she is currently exploring what she calls “layered wash” paintings. Her newest venture involves varnishing pages from classic western novels onto the canvas, then layering washes of color on top. These paintings, while following some of the same procedures as her “painted pull” technique, have a very different feel, characterized by a neutral palette and an ethereal mood. Pace’s search for new horizons is also evident in her career path. After earning a degree in art, Pace worked as a graphic artist, a runway model, an art teacher, a musician, and finally as an artist. She continues to receive top honors yearly at international art shows in oil, watercolor, and photography.
GALLERIES:
• The Daily Painters Gallery, www.dailypaintersgallery.com.
• Earth Works Art Gallery and Studio, Penn Yan, New York, 315.536.6007, www.earthworksartgallery.com.
• Gillian Jones Gallery, Granville, Ohio, 740.739.9888, www.gillianjonesgallery.com.
• Our House Gallery, El Dorado Hills, California, 916.933.4278, www.ourhousegallery.com.
• Patina, Marble Falls, Texas, 830.637.7662, www.patinaofmarblefalls.com.
Issue: January 2010
